Ebon Phoenix
by ForeverFic
Summary: Hoping to lighten Harry Potter's life, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore recalls his family's heirlooms and legends and decides it is time to call for help. Follow our favorite orange-haired war hero as he meets the Golden Trio and Co. and changes their lives. Wise, Immortal!Ichigo (Adopted from Noxilicious)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 _The Headmaster's Request_

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Albus?"

Honestly, I'm not sure… he wanted to say as he, Minerva McGonagall - who had addressed him earlier - Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, and Alastor 'Mad-eye' Moody stood. He refrained from doing so, however, and gazed at the large stone before them covered in intricate designs and a language that only he understood, just barely.

Dumbledore knew. He knew that Voldemort was back. If he hadn't, the Order of the Phoenix wouldn't have been gathered like this. It was at the point that it was impossible to ignore. He also knew that Harry would eventually have to face his destiny, but that did not stop him from worrying, even though he didn't show it. So in hopes that Harry would not be killed along his path, or even have to battle Voldemort, he called upon his last chance.

He mentally thanked his ancestors for being so attached to diverse cultures, otherwise he would never have found out about this.

"Yes, Minerva. This is all we have left… this is our last hope."

Minerva, bless her soul, knew how dangerous this was. After all, he had told her about this first. Giving one more mental prayer, the old wizard raised his right hand. In his grasp was a wooden medallion with a black skull engraved into the surface. He placed the medallion into a indentation on the stone in front of them. The wooden piece immediately clicked into place, and a bluish-white light spread from it through the tribal marks and words across the stone.

They had to take a step back and cover their eyes with their arms as the light suddenly pulsed and the stone cracked and crumbled. Moments later, the stone stopped rattling and the dust settled, revealing something that Dumbledore had only hoped for.

There, where the boulder once stood, was a tall and sturdy cross. Hung onto the cross was a man, pinned to it like Jesus Christ was said to have been. At first, they thought that the man was part of the cross, melded to it like a statue made of ivory and stone.

But then the stone began to melt and peel off of the man in strips. It separated from his body like oil and water. The last piece of stone on his feet shedded, and the man took a deep breath in, and if breathing for the first time in ages, and fell from the cross.

While the man stood and stretched, the members of the Order took their time to study the newly appeared man. He seemed to be in his early twenties, but they of all people knew better than to be fooled by his attractive, youthful appearance. He had long and wild orange hair reaching to his shoulders that only just covered his eyes. His skin held a natural tan, and he stood at six feet tall.

The man was clad in unusual black robes that resembled a samurai. On his waist sat a sheathed sword, its handle black with red, the hilt resembling a swastika. When the man finally looked at them, they found that his eyes were a warm chocolate brown, filled with ages of wisdom that one his 'age' would not hold. 

As they continued to stand and stare at each other, the member of the Order began to think that the man could not speak.

"Sore wa nan-nen…?" he murmured absently, rubbing his wrists.

The British shared a few looks. This was gonna take a while…

"Do you speak English?" Minerva inquired slowly. The man raised an eyebrow at them, before a sound akin to a chuckle left his lips.

"Yes, I do speak English, Minerva," he replied fluently, though a slight accent still remained. The witch's eyes widened. How did he know her name?

"Now, I believe there was a reason for which you decided to awaken me, was there not?" he said, directing his gaze to Dumbledore.

The old wizard nodded. "A dark wizard has risen from the dead and is threatening the lives of my students. He will soon wage war. His name is Voldemort."

"Ah… Tom Riddle. Yes, quite a headache that fellow. I assume you want me to deal with him? I hope you realize that I was sealed for a reason. I cannot simply interfere with such major events, especially ones that do not concern me." the man reminded.

"I only request that you protect our students, especially one Harry Potter," Dumbledore replied.

"The child of the prophecy…" the man gained a melancholic expression as he crossed his arms. However, he abruptly washed it off and stared at the old wizard sternly. Albus did not buckle under the strength of his gaze. Instead, he willingly got to his knees. "I beg of you, Grim Reaper, true founder of the magical world, help him in his destiny."

The others gasped at this revelation, and the man scowled fiercely. "Do not call me such, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, and rise. I am not one for formalities. My name is Ichigo, use it well," he demanded.

"W-will you help us, Lord Ichigo?" Remus asked meekly. The old wizard couldn't blame him; he was facing one of the oldest beings in existence.

The man looked like he wanted to sigh in aggravation at the title, but looked towards him instead. "Yes, I will help you. I was going to help you from the beginning, but decided that one has to walk before they can run," Ichigo answered nonchalantly.

"Now then, how are we going to house this guy? After all, a twenty year-old man clad in a student's robe walking around Hogwarts and attending classes would be pretty suspicious," Alastor wondered, looking at Albus.

A light twinkled in the old wizard's eyes and he smiled. "I think I have just the cover for you," he said, addressing Ichigo.

oooOOOoooOOOooo

"And this, is Diagon Alley, Mr. Kurosaki," Minerva presented, waving a hand behind her. The man's eyes studied the wizards-filled street with a tint of nostalgia.

"It is unchanged," he murmured with a smile. Minerva turned to look at him with curiosity. "What year is it?" he suddenly asked.

The witch gave him a slightly surprised look. "1994," she answered nonetheless. She saw a proud look spread over his face, and she just couldn't help but ask, "How long has it been since you last stepped here?"

He hummed in thought and brought a hand to rub his chin, which she only now noticed was covered in light stubble. "Well, nearly nine centuries, if I recall clearly. Yes, I remember being sealed only after I knew that wizards and witches had a safe haven to live."

That brought even more questions. "Who sealed you, Mr. Kurosaki? And why?"

At that, Ichigo's eyes were lightened by a flame of fondness and pride. "My little stubborn pupil, though when he sealed me, he wasn't that little anymore. As for why, well," his eyes dulled, "let's just say that sacrifices have to be made in exchange for peace."

Minerva recognized the look of pain and decided not to push things any further. If this man was indeed the founder of the magical world, then he had seen enough to fill hundreds of lifetimes. However, she couldn't help but ask, "Who was your pupil? For a man to be able to seal you, he must have been strong."

Ichigo chuckled. "I guess you could say that. After all, I did teach him everything I knew about magic. His name was Merlin."

The witch paused in their tour... Merlin… the Merlin? The legendary wizard who was said to have been sought by Salazar Slytherin, was instead this man's disciple? Albus was right, this man was a living legend. Minerva was disappointed by the fact that not much was known about this… immortal in the magical world. He was the founder of their world, and they knew nothing about him, other than his name, title, and that he was older than the muggle Bible. Possibly even older than that.

As if reading her thoughts, his expression turned bitter before he gave her a sad smile. "Believe me, I would rather them worship a dead wizard in my place. It is better this way. You will understand soon enough."

The transfiguration professor nodded. She resigned anymore questions and changed the subject for both of their sakes. "Our time here is limited and there are still many more places to visit. Shall we?

Ichigo smiled warmly and followed her.

oooOOOoooOOOooo

Their first stop was the Gringotts Wizarding Bank. When the witch first offered to pay for his expenses from Hogwart's account, he refused, saying that he had his own account and could very well pay for his own things.

Upon entering, all goblins shied away from their guests. Minerva thought it was unnerving to say the least. Ichigo gave them all a meaningful glance and they hurriedly returned to their work, occasionally shooting him looks when they thought he wasn't looking.

He waltzed up to the goblin on the pedestal. "I wish to make a withdrawal from vault 5," he said, fishing a golden key from his pocket - a pocket the witch didn't know he had until then - and handed it to the goblin.

The goblin shakily took the key, gave it a quick glance and rang a bell near him. Two new goblins appeared at Ichigo's side. "Follow us, please." One of them said. Ichigo took his key back and nodded. The goblins turned to look at Minerva.

"She's with me, she can come too," Ichigo answered the unasked question.

The goblins nodded and guided them to the man's vault. During the journey, the goblins kept whispering to each other and glancing to their guest. Ichigo, wanting to relieve their stress, attempted a joke, "I am not going to reap any of your souls, now stop being so cautious."

One of them sighed in relief, while the other turned to face Ichigo. "We apologize, my lord. It is just that you were claimed dead nearly a millennia ago. Seeing a legend such as you enter our bank like you were never gone is pretty… shocking."

Ichigo sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Do not worry yourselves over it. Just keep it to yourselves. I'd rather the humans don't find out so soon," he muttered.

The two nodded their heads and continued walking. After a while and a couple dragons, something that left Minerva a bit shaken, they reached a tall, black vault entrance. One of the goblins unlocked the vault and Ichigo and his companion entered it.

Minerva stared in awe at the mountains of gold. While she followed Ichigo deeper into the vault, she also noticed something peculiar in one of the corners. Her eyes widened and she brought a hand to her mouth as she gasped, barely restraining a scream.

Ichigo turned to look at her and at what caught her attention. A body laid leaning against the wall, its skin pale, and its hair orange. "Oh, that. It's not a real body. It's just a shell."

Minerva forced herself to take her eyes off the Ichigo-look-alike. "A shell…?"

"Yes. An artificial body of sorts," he said and he walked towards it, turned so that his back was facing it, and sat, disappearing. The skin of the shell turned tan, and it started moving, its eyes opening to reveal the chocolate brown of her companion's eyes. He stood and stretched, before turning to her again. "See? Now, I need you to keep quiet about this. Not even Dumbledore needs to find out, though I doubt he doesn't know."

Minerva nodded slowly. "But… why would you need an artificial body?"

"I am called Grim Reaper for more than one reason," he replied cryptically. "That, and my other nickname, which I'm sure more people will recognize."

The witch raised an eyebrow but didn't ask any further. She knew better than to push her luck.

"Do you have everything?" He nodded. "Let's go. You still need clothes and a wand. And a pet, if you wish."

oooOOOoooOOOooo

A while later, the two were visiting Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Ichigo scrunched his nose at the uncomfortable robes while poor Madame Malkin fussed around, trying to satisfy his requirements. After dozens of outfits, he finally settled on a pair of black trousers, a black blazer with a high collar, a black coat with a red undergarment and four coattails, black combat boots - something she found ridiculous - and black leather gloves.

Madame Malkin scrunched her nose too at his preference of black and the boots, but handed him his clothes with a mutter of 'ridiculous sense of fashion'. Ichigo only shrugged at her opinion.

The two next headed to the Ollivanders Wand Shop. They entered the shop and waited for Garrick Ollivander to appear. And appear he did, as his head popped from behind a shelf, and the moment he looked at Ichigo, his eyes widened in recognition.

An excited smile appeared on his face. "What can I do for you?" he asked, as if begging him to say he needed a wand.

"I ne-"

"Of course you do!" Ollivander almost squealed as he motioned with his wand and a measuring tape started measuring every part of his body. Well, almost every part.

"Your wand arm, please," he requested. Ichigo raised his left arm, something that made the Animagus raise her eyebrows. She looked at his waist and saw that his sword rested on his left side. That meant he fought with his right hand. Or at least, that he was right-handed. Though she didn't see why he would carry a sword around if he didn't use it. Maybe he was ambidextrous, but even those folk prefer to use their wands with their right hands.

Each time Ollivander came with a new wand, Ichigo would try to say something, only to be interrupted as the silver-eyed man would vanish behind his shelves again. After a few dozen wands and a very, very destroyed shop, Ichigo sighed in irritation. "Ollivander!" he shouted so as to stop the wandmaker.

Said wandmaker stopped in his tracks and turned to look at his client. Said client rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I already know which one I need. There is a wand in the basement, one you and your predecessors haven't been able to match with a wizard. Ever."

Ollivander's eyes widened before they gained a knowing glint. He nodded and disappeared behind his shelves. Two minutes later, he came back with a black, dusty box. He took out the pure black wand and gave it to his customer. Ichigo suddenly smiled with fondness as the tip crackled with black flames and a wind blew his hair. He looked at the destroyed shop around him and with one swish it instantly repaired itself.

"Thirteen inches, rigid, great for all combative magic and Transfiguration, judging from the ebony. As for the core… I must admit I do not know. In all our family's generations, no one ever found out what core this wand has," Ollivander murmured with awe.

"Thestral hair."

Minerva turned abruptly and stared at Ichigo. "What did you say?"

"This wand's core is Thestral hair. And you couldn't have known, because this wand was not made by one of your ancestors," Ichigo explained to Garrick, who was staring at him with curiosity. "I gave it to Gina Ollivander, your many-greats-grandmother, to keep it safe until my possible return."

"So this wand was yours all along?" the silver-eyed man asked in disbelief. Ichigo nodded. Minerva had the urge to facepalm. Here he was, hinting at his immortality, right after he himself said to keep his identity a secret. Good thing that Ollivander probably wouldn't believe him. He would have to be crazy to do so.

"My father told me stories about you and your legendary wand, and about your 'death'. I knew you were alive. The entire Ollivander family knew this. But I didn't think that was your wand and that you would come and retrieve it personally."

Ichigo chuckled at the expression of disbelief on Minerva's face. Apparently she didn't think that the wandmaker would believe he was immortal. He knew how Ollivanders are. Impracticality was their trademark.

"How much for the wand?" Ichigo stated with a smirk.

"Nothing! It was never ours to begin with. It would be a dishonor to ask you to pay for it. And don't worry, I will not reveal your identity to others, Ebon Phoenix," the wandmaker stated.

Ichigo nodded and thanked him. "I know. I always confided in the Ollivanders."

With that, Minerva and her 'ward' left the shop. The witch glared at her companion. Ichigo smiled in amusement at her expression. She knew there was much she didn't know about him, and that obviously bothered her, but Ichigo knew that she was only pretending to be so bothered.

He was glad friendship didn't change throughout so many centuries.

 *****Based off of the original Ebon Phoenix by Noxilicious*****


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Hogwarts is Hiring

* * *

"So, what do you think?" Ichigo shrugged in his seat. He was currently sitting across from Dumbledore in the latter's office. It was three days from the beginning of the fall semester, and Ichigo had all of his supplies, he just needed to know what he was actually going to be doing.

"Well, I believe it would be better if we have you placed as a peacekeeper."

Ichigo stared at the man before him and arched an eyebrow. "A peacekeeper? Hogwarts has never had one of those before, I would know."

"The cover would be that you're just keeping the rising tension between the Gryffindors and Slytherins at bay. In actuality, however, you would really be keeping an eye on Potter and and the like."

Ichigo leaned back in his chair, smirking. "That seems so silly that it just might work, professor."

"Please, Lord Ichigo, just Albus is fine."

"Perhaps in private, if you address me as just 'Ichigo'. But we must address each other correctly in view of the students so that we don't arouse suspicions. That's the last thing we need at the moment."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "Alright, Ichigo. Anyways, now that we're alone, I've been meaning to ask you how you knew about Minerva and I. After all, you've been sealed for centuries."

Ichigo closed his eyes and sighed.

"I figured you would ask me at some point. When I was sealed, I entered a trance-like state, and I was unable to burn up my mounting magic. In order to release it, I began to observe the magical world through the magic that courses through every wizards' and creatures' viens. I could do it now, if I so wished, but it would use up all of my energy, and return me to that trance." he answered.

Dumbledore's eyes gleamed in wonder, "To be connected with every magical being in the world, it must be astounding, I couldn't even imagine such a concept."

Ichigo's features took on a crestfallen appearance. At once, Dumbledore regretted his inquiry. "There is so much wonder in the world," Ichigo began, "so much beauty. I observed the rise of kingdoms and nations, of rulers and leaders. I saw the innovations and creations and inspiration that this glorious world had to offer, from both children and adults alike. I saw weddings and births, and all things full of passion of emotion."

Ichigo paused for a moment.

"With this in mind, I saw so much destruction, so much devastation. I've seen wars and battles, the fall of nations and kingdoms. I've seen the fall of good people and the rise of corrupt. I've seen so much death. All of the funerals, the grief and loss, the murder and thievery. I've experienced the loss of every stillborn child in the past nine centuries. I've witnessed so much pain, more than any other could ever imagine."

"But, I've also seen the birth of Harry Potter. I saw how his mother sacrificed herself for her child for nothing short of true love. I've seen him grow and learn, develop his magic, gather friends, and face astounding obstacles… We can never truly hide from grief and pain, but we can always overcome them. This is the reason I accepted your request, because this world needs a little more hope. Because I'm tired of watching the wicked have their way."

Dumbledore was silent. "You really have seen it all, haven't you?" he whispered. All Ichigo could do was nod.

"Well, no sense it worrying over it now. You have a room to get settled into. Just for appearance, I put your room between the Gryffindor and Slytherin common rooms. That way, you can be close to Harry while keeping up your persona. It also relatively close to everything, so I imagine you will be able to get along smoothly throughout the school.

"Ah, thank you for your hospitality, Albus." The two stood up.

"Nonsense, Ichigo. After all you've done for us, it's no trouble at all. Come, I'll show you to your chambers." Ichigo followed after the headmaster as he lead the way out of his office. His robes trailed behind him as he sauntered down the halls - his halls. Ichigo couldn't help but smile at the man's enthusiasm during such dark times. Ichigo felt a well of pride begin to surge within himself when he observed the school during their trek.

He had a hand in all of this wonder. The ghosts, the moving paintings and staircases, the house elves running amuck trying to prepare for the new students - all of it. Every wisp of magic and wonder, all of it had been his doing. Sure, he could see the school while he had been sealed, but being able to see it with his own eyes, in his own body, was a gift in and of itself. Ichigo watched as they passed the Gryffindor common room, and down a few flights of stairs. They stopped at an intersection of the bottom of a staircase and the top of another. With a wave of Dumbledore's hand, a large wooden door appeared along the wall in front of them.

"And here is where your chambers will be. I've specially enchanted the room to keep all of your, shall we say, excess magic from leaking out and disturbing other students. I've heard the stories passed down from my ancestors about how your power supply is so immense, that when you're not using it or actively thinking about it, it would leak from your being."

"Ah, I see. Well, Albus, your ancestors were not completely incorrect. Although I do have an extremely large power reserve, it only becomes a problem when I become angered or agitated. I do appreciate the effort, however, because nightmares do have a way of sneaking into my bed at night."

Dumbledore smiled. He was just happy to be learning so much. "You're welcome, L- er, Ichigo. I'll leave you to get settled. I'll return in a few days to introduce you to our staff and vice-versa. If you have any questions, please come see me at my office. The password is 'sniggle warts'. I'll leave the rest to you, then." With that, Dumbledore began to make his way back up the stairs.

The old wizard - or young, depending on your viewpoint - turned back to the door of his new living quarters and quickly cast a spell where only those who were deemed worthy could enter. That way, it would keep any unwanted visitors from entering, not that he had anything to hide. He pushed open the large door and stepped inside.

Torches along the walls lit upon his entry. The room was simple, yet grand in every sense of the word. The room held a rectangular shape, with the exception of one corner being cut with another wall, creating 5 in total. Against that wall was a large fireplace with a couple armchairs in front of it. Across from on the other side of the room was a four-poster king sized bed. There were other pieces of furniture made out of solid wood. The room was bathed in blacks and dark reds. There were a couple doors that - Ichigo assumed - lead to a bathroom and closet. Ichigo would've laughed at the ordeal if he had not been so irritated by it.

'Got a little carried away, eh old man?'

Ichigo stepped further into the room as the door swept shut behind him. He wandered towards the large bed and sat gently on the edge. He ran his hands over the soft fabric. This bed was much too big for him. A sudden and suffocating weight rested on his chest as he thought of all of the friends that he has lost - all of his family. His sisters, father, and mother, all of them gone. Even in this world, Ichigo was too afraid to make friends in fear of them leaving him. The only one close enough for him to call a friend was Merlin, and he sealed Ichigo away for almost a millennium.

The reaper shook his head to clear his thoughts. It would do him no good to dwell on the past. He should've learned after the last three thousand years. Ichigo left his room in favor of exploring the grounds. He decided to start from the bottom up. Ichigo met with the elves in the kitchens, saw the greenhouse, all of the common rooms, and the like. He ended up meeting fluffy and bonding with the large creature. He was on his way back to his chambers when he ran into a house elf. Quite literally.

"Oh, Dobby is so sorry sir. Dobby was not looking where he was going, that he was not."

"Don't worry… Dobby. It was my fault. Please return to your master."

"But sir, Dobby has no master. Dobby is a free elf."

Ichigo crouched down in front of the house elf. "Is that so?" he inquired. The wizard inspected the creature. He definitely looked less strained than the typical house elf, but his dressings were still less than satisfactory.

"Yes sir. Dobby is paid to work in the kitchens of Hogwarts."

Ichigo smiled. "Do you enjoy being a free elf, Dobby?"

"Oh most definitely, sir. Dobby has his own money. He can buy his own things and has no master. It is most enjoyable, sir."

"I see. I am happy to hear that, Dobby."

The young house elf smiled. "If I may, sir, Dobby does not know your name…?"

"Ichigo. My name is Ichigo."

"Ichigo. Yes, Dobby likes Ichigo very much. Not very many wizards are kind to free elves, but Ichigo is, and so is Harry Potter."

Ichigo stood back up. "I'm glad. Best get back to your job, Dobby."

"Yes, thank you sir." The house elf bowed before he scurried off to work. Ichigo felt a little lighter after his encounter with the young elf. He had met him once during his trance, but there was so much, his memory had been swept under the rug until he saw him again. Ichigo's mind was not big enough to store all of the memories he had collected while sealed, so his mind seemed to bury the ones deemed unimportant until later.

When Ichigo returned to his chambers, he was greeted by a floating message informing him of a small dinner held for those few that remained at the castle all year every night. It was in half an hour. Ichigo entered his room and laid down on the bed. Instead of turning to the dark thoughts that he had earlier, he instead turned towards more optimistic thoughts for the new year ahead of him.

What kind of students and wizards would he meet? Had he turned rusty from the nine centuries he spent sealed? What new innovations in magic had accumulated since he was last aware? They all became burning questions that never left the back of his mind. Even as he prepared to go to dinner, he couldn't shake them from his mind.

The walk there did not take nearly as long as he would've thought, but that might've been because he was looking towards to the new school year. Perhaps once Voldemort was taken care of, he could become a professor himself. Oh, all of the things he could pass on! Ichigo paused as a thought crossed his mind.

Will I be sealed again after Voldemort is over and done with?

It just depended on what he thought, Ichigo supposed. He hadn't wanted Merlin to seal him nine centuries ago, but he had no choice. It was for the best. Although technically, sealing Ichigo away was always for the best. Ichigo's mood was dampened, but only slightly as he was still looking forward to the school year.

"Sniggle warts." The large statue leading towards Dumbledore's office moved and Ichigo stepped inside. Because there was only a fraction of the staff still in the castle, the dinners were held in Dumbledore's officer. It had been agreed that only those in the room with him when he was awakened would know about his true identity. Those in the order who had not been present would still remain in the dark. So as of this moment, only Albus, Minerva, Mad-eye, Severus, and Lupin knew about him.

When he entered the office Ichigo saw a large table that had not been there only hours before. Only Dumbledore was there at the moment. It seemed as though the rest of the staff had not arrived yet. Ichigo took a seat next to the headmaster, who was eating what appeared to be lemon drops, but Ichigo knew better than to try one.

Dumbledore greeted his guest without looking up from his treats. "Ah, welcome, Ichigo."

"Thank you, Albus." Ichigo said as he scooted closer to the table. "It seems as if I've come a bit early."

"Oh, that's because I told you it started a little earlier than it actually does." The headmaster replied. Ichigo's eyebrow arched, silently asking for an explanation. "Well, I felt that it would be better if you arrived before anyone else so that when they come in I can introduce you. As I'm sure you're aware, most teachers here are not quick to trust and tend to be on the offensive to new instructors."

Ichigo nodded in agreement. "Yes, that I am aware of. Although, it is not an unfounded anxiety."

Dumbledore took this moment to actually look at his companion in the eyes. "Quite unfortunate, isn't it?"

They fell into a comfortable silence, Dumbledore eating his sweets before dinner and Ichigo studying the moving portraits on the walls. The first one to show up was Minerva, which wasn't surprising, followed by Professor Sprout, and Professor Trelawney, as well as Madame Pomfrey. The last one to arrive was Hagrid. So other than Minerva and Dumbledore, no one else knew about Ichigo.

The new arrivals eyed Ichigo cautiously, especially Trelawney. Ichigo suspected that she had probably received a premonition about his true identity, but couldn't fully decipher it. They all seemed like a good bunch. Ichigo found it humorous how they tried to cover their stares, but were failing miserably. At least they tried. Minerva had made the smart decision to sit next to Ichigo since she knew that the other staff were very unlikely to choose the open seat next to him, and they only had enough for one a person, so no empty seats. He nodded in acknowledgement towards her and she smiled back.

"Excuse me," Dumbledore stood to address his guests. "I'm sure everyone's excited for the start of the fall semester in three days. The rest of the staff, as you know, will arrive back to their respective chambers the day before classes start. Now, to the address the goblin in the room… Minerva, you're birthday is coming up next month, correct?"

The transfiguration professor blushed at the unexpected attention, but she nodded nonetheless. The rest of the staff couldn't help but fidget at their headmaster's antics. "But seriously," Dumbledore continued. "This young man next to me is Ichigo Kurosaki. Because of the rising tensions between Slytherins and Gryffindors, I hired him as a sort of peace keeper. I doubt that anything physical would happen between the two, but he's just here to keep an eye on them when we can't. He'll be sitting in joint slytherin-gryffindor classes as well as monitoring the halls between their common rooms. Now, dig in."

The staff visibly relaxed as Dumbledore explained the new member of their staff. They relaxed even more when the plates before them filled with plentiful plates of food. Ichigo ate, but only just. Normally, one of his power would need to gorge themselves on food constantly just to have enough energy to get out of bed in the morning, but the fact that he was immortal balanced out, meaning that he only needed small amounts of food every now and then to keep him content. Anything more than that would make him severely nauseous.

The dinner guests made small talk while they ate. When they finished, they said their goodbyes and filed out of the office. Ichigo was about to leave himself when he felt someone about to grab from behind. Out of instinct, he whipped around and jumped backwards. He saw a flabbergasted half-giant with his right hand the air. Ichigo calmed when he realized that Hagrid was probably just going to pat him on the back.

"Well, you're a jumpy one, ain't ya? Don't worry, we'll get that fixed right up here at Hogwarts. The name's Rubeus Hagrid, but you can just call me Hagrid." He lowered his hand and held it out for Ichigo to shake. The reaper grasped the man's hand in his own and shook firmly. He was supposed to be a bodyguard of sorts, so he should probably carry himself as one. Not that it would be too far of a stretch for him.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, but Ichigo will do just fine."

"It's night to meet ya. Good luck with those kiddos, they can get pretty vicious, believe me."

Ichigo smiled smugly, "I think I can handle it."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 _Back to School_

* * *

"I'd also like to introduce our new Defense against the Dark Arts professor, Alastor Moody." The large man sitting at the end of the professor table gave a curt nod and wave to the students who filled the great hall. Ichigo clapped with the rest of the students. It was the first day of the fall semester, and they had just sorted the new students into their houses. Ichigo was currently seated between Dumbledore and Snape. Although only teachers were allowed at the table, Dumbledore thought that Ichigo - being the founder of the wizarding world and all - should have a seat next to him.

"Also, I've made the decision to hire a peacekeeper at Hogwarts to deal with the rising tensions between the houses. Please welcome Ichigo Kurosaki." Ichigo stood for a moment, nodded, and sat back down. The students had been too concerned with their new teacher with a strange eye to pay Ichigo any mind. The reaper wasn't sure how to feel about the concept. He supposed it was better than them questioning him and the like. His eyes migrated to the Gryffindor table as he honed in on the chosen child. He was talking with his friend, Weasley, and was staring at Mad-Eye. Their other friend, Hermione, however, was staring at Ichigo. Perhaps staring was too strong of a word, eyeing, would fit more.

Dumbledore explained about the goblet of fire and how it was being held at Hogwarts that year. He explained the rules and about the schools coming to visit. The new staff was quickly forgotten as students began to anxiously chat about the event. Once the food appeared, they stuffed themselves and talked about their summers. Ichigo picked at his food, sitting in silence. Dumbledore was talking with Minerva, and Snape wasn't speaking at all, so he was left. When he heard someone yell-whisper his name, he looked down the table and saw Hagrid motioning him to come over.

The wizard stood up and slide to the other side of Dumbledore. There was an empty seat next to Hagrid at the end of the table. It was supposed to be Mad-Eye's, but he had conjured his own chair and was sitting off to the side. Ichigo eyed the man sitting down. He could sense that the man sitting there was not the true Alastor Moody. At least, not the one who was present when he was reawakened. This Mad-Eye was much darker. Ichigo knew that he would have to keep his identity to himself, then, since this Moody didn't know about him.

Ichigo also knew that he would have to keep the switch of wizards to himself as well. Being who he was, and with his capabilities, he could not interfere with anything. The only thing he could do was protect Harry physically, not alert him to lurking troubles. Ichigo would not use magic in anyway during this fight. Ichigo could not pick sides, not with his influence. Voldemort had lackies that protected him physically, so Ichigo had no reservations about that, but everything else up to Harry.

His katana - zanpakuto - had lost its luster over the years. It had manifested in his gigai, and was now accessible to him in that way. It was also permanently fixed in its bankai state, unable to switch back to shikai no matter how much Ichigo had tried. He could no longer perform the larger abilities, such as getsuga tenshou, or call on his mask, but still had largely increased speed when fighting and could use flash step. Zangestu himself had stayed with him, since their souls were intertwined, but his hollow had become weaker and weaker. He could still speak with Zangestu, but there was nothing to really speak of anymore. His Hollow was difficult to communicate with, probably because there was no other hollow in this world to gain strength from, but he was still there, just barely.

Ichigo's inner world had also taken on a new form. Not only was it for his little soul reaper abilities, but his wizarding abilities as well. It now looked like a reading room, with a fireplace and armchairs, as well as infinitely tall bookshelves lining the walls. Floating around the room was white spheres, all of them connected in different ways and were different sizes. They represented all those with magic, all of those he was connected with. It was where he spent his sealment, but he had no choice about what he saw or experienced. He would often find Zangestu in there, reading or exercising.

His hollow was sickly in his innerworld. He was thin and frail, and always tired. He was always either sleeping for resting. This was why it was so hard to speak to him without entering his inner world. Both his hollow and Zangestu were still sleeping from where he was sealed, and would not awaken for a while yet. Ichigo would welcome speaking with them after 900 years. They were the only thing that proved his last life had happened, and that he wasn't crazy. They were also the only ones who know about his true self and what he really is, and the only true friends he has left.

Ichigo sat down in the empty seat next to - who he could tell would be - his new companion. Hagrid voiced his surprise at Ichigo being placed at the professor's table because when Hagrid was just the keeper of keys, he wasn't allowed to sit at the table. Ichigo could sense the hurt in his voice, but decided not to comment on it. "Yeah, I'm not too sure. Never focused on that, you know? So… what do you teach?"

"Oh, I haven't said yet? I'm ta' Care of Magical Creatures professor."

"Do you like them?"

"Oh I love 'em. They're just misunderstood, most of 'em are."

"I see, do you have a favorite?" Ichigo inquired.

Hagrid replied hastily, "Dragons."

"Wow, that was awfully quick."

"I almost had my own," he revealed. "But I sent it to Romania to be safe. Harry said that I couldn't take care of a dragon here, and he was right. It was a beaut, it was. I miss him real bad."

Ichigo gazed at the half-giant. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I wish I hadn't asked."

Hagrid cleared his throat. "No, it's alright. No reason to dwell on it. I'll find another and raise it myself one day."

Ichigo applauded the man for his optimism. Although he wasn't the brightest pick of the bunch, he was well-intentioned, and that was good enough for Ichigo. They continued to talk about magical creatures, the different kinds. Ichigo let Hagrid talk the most as he just listened. He could tell that the man knew his stuff, and he belonged as a professor at the table, Ichigo just wondered why it had taken so long. The students followed their prefects out of the great hall and towards their common rooms. Ichigo was about to leave himself, but he was greeted by the staff he hadn't met yet. Mad-Eye introduced himself, even proving further that it wasn't the one he had met before.

Ichigo just smiled and nodded. He quickly left the hall in favor of catching up with the Gryffindor students, just to get a view of them. He caught up to them just after they went up a moving staircase. Ichigo backed up a step and lept onto the staircase, catching it just in time. He followed them up another set of stairs. He silently fell behind the students, listening to their questions and excitement. The prefect answered all of their questions perfectly, even adding some of his own information in there as well.

He waited until the students entered the common room to pull the prefect aside. "Hey, you did a great job with those students."

"Oh, thanks Mister…"

"Just Ichigo, is fine. I just want to let you know that my chambers are on the way from here to the Slytherin common room, so if you ever need me or a professor, just come get me."

The student looked at him, puzzled. "But, Ichigo, you're not a professor."

Ichigo smiled. "I am in everything but name. Just make sure you tell your students where my chambers are in case they should need me." The prefect nodded and entered the common room with the rest of the students. The portrait of the fat lady closed behind him. He nodded to her and turned to retire to his chambers for the night. Tomorrow the actual first day of classes began, and Ichigo couldn't be more excited.

oooOOOoooOOOooo

Despite having been sealed for nine centuries, Ichigo still loved and craved sleep. It had always been that way since he was a young boy. Perhaps he needed it to keep his endless power supply in check, or maybe because he was just lazy, he couldn't say for sure. But what he did know, was that when he had to get up early for the first day of classes, he absolutely hated it. Ichigo had absolutely no idea how he could possibly do this for the rest of the year, but he hoped that he'd get use to it.

It had become quite apparent to the other residents of Hogwarts that Ichigo was not a morning person, for he was nothing more than a shell of a man (pun intended) who would nearly growl at anyone who tried to speak with him. His entire body reeked of fatigue and sourness. Not even Dumbledore tried to converse with the man, but that didn't stop Hagrid. Oh no, the half-giant eagerly greeted the man at breakfast that morning. Students were not required to be at breakfast - although most were - but professors were. This was in case a student needed to speak with them before school started, since trying to find anyone outside of class was nearly impossible.

Ichigo forced out a greeting and sat down at the professors table. As breakfast went on Ichigo became less and less miserable. As breakfast neared its end, it was almost impossible to recognize Ichigo as the man who had come in earlier since he had finally properly awakened and was back to his normal self.

"I must say Lo- ahem, Mr. Kurosaki, that I never pictured you as a, well… a not morning person. You just seem so collected and well, you know."

Ichigo look towards Dumbledore. "Yes, headmaster. I've never quite understood it myself. When I was a younger man, which was a long, long time ago, one of my mentors told me it was because I use so much energy, but I highly doubt that. I think it's just a teenager habit that I haven't been able to break." he replied.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "There's nothing wrong with sleeping." he explained. "It's how you rest your body and mind. But not only that, it's where you dream. Yes, there are nightmares, but they are just there to remind us how important the dreams are... Don't you think?"

"Yes, headmaster, I couldn't agree more." Ichigo said as he took a sip of his tea. It was very calming, and although not as strong as coffee, it picked him right up. It just green tea with some honey, but it was just right for the wizard. Perhaps he could convince Dobby to put in a word in the kitchens to bring him a batch every morning so he could drink it throughout the day. He could make some of his own with magic, but it would never be as good as the real thing, no matter how hard he tried.

Ichigo had been given an official schedule, but Dumbledore made sure to express to Ichigo that he was in no way required to do anything they asked. Ichigo found it amusing how Dumbledore tried to make themselves look as unthreatening as possible. He was like an animal with its tail between its legs. Ichigo had tried several times to get Dumbledore to treat him as any other wizard, but Ichigo understood how silly the request was. He still tried, though. The only person who actually knew who he was and hadn't treated him differently was Merlin. That was one of the reasons he had chosen him to be his one and only apprentice. In fact, the wizard had reminded Ichigo of a more subdued Kisuke, if that was really possible.

Ichigo's first class was to watch over the joined hufflepuff-gryffindor herbology class, but Ichigo was never good with plants, so he decided to skip that one, instead spending his time reading in his room. The first actually class he would go to was the joint gryffindor-slytherin care of magical creature class. Partly because of the two houses involved, but also because he wanted to see how Hagrid taught his class. He made his way to Hagrid's hut, which was next to the Forbidden Forest. Ichigo had heard from other staff members that last year's joint gryffindor-slytherin class with Hagrid had been extremely eventful. Ichigo couldn't tell if he wanted it to be the same this year.

Being as old as Ichigo was - which was very, very old - things quickly bored him. The mundane became tedious and the boring became unbearable. Although Ichigo had significantly grown and matured from his naive teenage self, there was only so much of the same thing every year that he could take. That's one of the reasons he was in love with the wizarding that he had created, it was ever changing, ever unique. Now that Ichigo was out of his confinement, he was no longer all-knowing, and he was thrilled by the fact that he had no idea how things would pan out. There was constantly new wizards, new spells, new stories, and it was enthralling.

Hagrid taught the class about Bast-Ended Skrewts. They were lobster-like creatures that bite, sting, and propel themselves by blasting from one end to another. Hagrid tries to explain the differences between the males and females, but the students are having a hard enough time just finding their mouths. Some of them even question why they're alive, something that Ichigo tried his best to keep from reaching Hagrid, knowing that it would break the man's heart. Most of the students paid him no mind. Some of them were wary of him, like one Hermione Granger, but after a while, even she grew used to his presence.

Ichigo could hear one Draco Malfoy complaining in the swarm of students. Ichigo can tell that Harry is trying to feign interest, but is failing quite miserably. Overall, Ichigo labels the first magical creatures class unsuccessful, but Hagrid disagrees. He thinks it goes very well and even talks to Ichigo about his plans for the next lesson. Ichigo is just happy that the man is happy. If Ichigo were to ever teach, it would have to be in groups of smaller than 10. Ichigo was a very intimate person, and he would teach the same way, nearly one on one with students. Perhaps that was another reason he had only taken on one apprentice.

Ichigo didn't have any other classes scheduled until after dinner. He was on his way to said dinner when he caught sight of Harry, Ron, and Draco arguing. Having a title to upkeep, he quickly walks over to see what's going on. He catches mention of both Ron and Draco's parents, and sees Draco pull out his wand on an unaware Harry. Ichigo catches Mad-Eye moving towards Draco with his wand out as well, most likely about to do something he shouldn't. Ichigo pulls out his own wand and blocks Mad-Eye's spell before it can reach Draco, and disarms both Draco and Moody before they can cast any spells. This catches the attention of everyone in the room instantly, including Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Mr. Malfoy, I implore you to never attack a man with his back turned. Not only is it undignified as a wizard with your standing, but cowardly as well. I suggest you take this lesson as is and you head it well. The last thing you want is trouble from me, Mr. Malfoy." Ichigo warned the boy in front of the other students. The poor boy looked downright terrified, literally shaking where he stood. Ichigo turned towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. "Professor Moody, I'd like to speak to you in private, if you wouldn't mind."

"I'm not scared of you… you filthy guard dog! My father will hear of your treatment towards me, and you'll regret what you've done."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm well aware Mr. Malfoy. Please, I would love to have a chat with your father. Now all of you, get to dinner before I lose my temper." The students quickly scattered, leaving Ichigo alone with Mad-Eye.

"You're overstepping your boundaries, boy." Mad-Eye said once they were alone. "You have no place disarming a professor, especially one who was about to deliver a punishment."

"I have no idea what your idea of a 'punishment' entails, professor, and I don't care to know. You're the one who does not know your place. Professors never raise their wand to a student unless to disarm, and I highly doubt that expelliarmus was your spell of choice. My job at this school is to protect the students, both from each other and from wayward professors. If you have any qualms about this, then you are more than welcome to take it up with Dumbledore." Ichigo took a breath to calm down. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm rather hungry and wish to eat before all of the food is gone." Ichigo left the professor in favor of the great hall, where he was, in fact, no longer hungry at all. He stomped towards the table and sat down, not bothering to eat. Dumbledore had asked what was wrong, but he told him nothing worth bothering himself over.

Hermione looked at the unusual man sitting at the professor's table. At first she had paid him no mind, actually agreeing with the idea of having someone to keep the silly rivalry between houses under wraps. Now, however, she wasn't quite so sure.

"Hermione, I'm glad you're eating again and all, but why are you staring at the professor's table?" Ron asked.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it." She replied.

Harry's attention had now been pulled from his dinner. "It's not 'nothing' Hermione. What's bothering you?"

"It's just," the young wizard glanced at the professor's table. "Mr. Kurosaki seems to be hiding something. It's nothing sinister or evil, but something important."

"What makes you say that?" Harry asked.

"Well, normally one takes a job as a peacekeeper or bodyguard because they don't have a lot of intellect or magical ability, but Mr. Kurosaki seems to be more competent than most of the teachers. I've been keeping an eye on him both today and yesterday, and he's very quiet, and he seems to notice things that most don't. His eyes are always observing and calculating and it's… unnerving to say the least."

Ron thought for a moment."Now that you mention, I actually haven't paid him much attention. He just kind of… blends in, like he belongs here. I'm just glad that he's on our side. I mean, did you see the way he stood up for Harry?"

Hermione nodded in agreement and returned to her food. Ichigo would be the least of their problems this year, she felt.

 ***Guest: I'm not entirely sure. I don't plan on carrying the ship over, but it just depends on how the story progresses. If I like the idea of HerXIchi later on, then I'll put it in, but if not, I won't. As of right now, I think they'll just have a very close little sister and big brother relationship later on in the story.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 _Family Reunion_

* * *

Thursday rolled around before Ichigo had a chance to stop it, not that he particularly wanted to anyway. The rest of the classes were uneventful, and Ichigo found that when he didn't have a joint class to observe, he would just listen in on some of the professor's lessons. He had come to find Trelawney's lessons to be the most interesting, although most of the students would disagree. Even though she was not perfect in her predictions, Ichigo knew talent when he saw it. He would know. Ichigo would often sit in her classes, as well as professor Sinistra's astronomy class. There was something about knowing the future and the idea of destiny that intrigued him.

Ichigo had a slight sense of the future, but that was being generous. Whenever Ichigo met someone, he could sense if they were meant for good or bad. It was more of a premonition than actual fact. When he first met Dumbledore, it was muddled. He was intentioned for good, but he often went about it the wrong way. When he met the original Moody, the man was purely good, despite his looks making it hard to believe. This new Moody, whoever it was, was not as good. Speaking of which, he was on his way to first class now. Although it was not a joint one, Ichigo felt he should attend, just in case the man got any ideas.

When the man mentioned curses, Ichigo eyed Moody warily. That was rather involved for the first lesson, although Ichigo had to admit, it was an important lesson for them to learn. Ichigo just hoped that they would never use them. First, Mad-Eye demonstrated the Imperius Curse, which allows the curser to control the cursed. Then he used the Cruciatus Curse, which causes terrible writhing pain to the cursed. Ichigo can see Neville begin to tremble and his face turn an unearthly shade.

"Mad-Eye, that's enough." The students and professor turned to look at Ichigo, who had been standing at the back of the classroom until now. Moody glared at him from the front of the classroom. Ichigo returned the stare, refusing to back down. With a twitch of his head, Mad-Eye stopped applying the curse.

"And finally, the killing curse. Avada Kedavra." Without looking, the professor shot the spell at his remaining spider, killing it instantly. "Class is over." The man limped out of the room, leaving the students and Ichigo alone. Confused, but not unhappy, the students began to pack up their things and go to spend of the rest afternoon how they wished. Ichigo sighed and was about to leave himself when he was stopped by none other than Harry Potter.

"Mr. Potter, can I help you?"

The boy fidgeted with his robes. His friends, Hermione and Ron, were standing behind him. "Well, sir, I just wanted to thank you for your help yesterday with Malfoy."

"I see. Don't worry about it, I'm just doing my job."

Harry's eyes focused on the floor, as if he was expecting a more pleasing answer. Ichigo smiled, "But, if you ever do find yourself in need of help, just let me know. I'm a lot more competent than I look, believe me." With that, Harry's face brightened.

"Thanks, Mr. Kuros-"

"Please," Ichigo held up his hand, his features twisted in a grimace. "If I hear that one more time, I think I'm going to snap. Ichigo is just fine, you three. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some things to attend to in my chambers." It was a lie, obviously, but Ichigo felt the conversation would quickly grow awkward, and he was not in the mood for that. He retired to his room, and like every other night, he read while drinking a warm pot of green tea from the kitchens, courtesy of Dobby.

The next morning Ichigo catches Harry sneaking off to Owlry. As much as Ichigo wished to spy on the boy, he knew that it wouldn't be right. The boy was probably just sending a message off to a girl or something, and Ichigo wanted no part in that. The wonders of young love was something that Ichigo dared not venture into. Ichigo prefered to stay to what he knew, and although that list was extensive, love was not included.

At least not the romantic sort. Ichigo's life had always been filled with such danger and urgency that he had never really stopped to think about love and romance. Now that his life had calmed, he would welcome it, but he would have no idea how to go about it. This was not the time to think of such things, though.

It was a few days later when Zangestu woke up. He was sluggish and grumpy, as one would expect after waking up from a 900 year sleep. Ichigo hastily excused himself from that night's dinner and scurried out off the great hall. Once out of sight from all the students and staff, he flash stepped to his chambers, shutting the door behind him. He jumped onto his bed and sat cross-legged, closing off his mind and awareness in favor of his inner world.

The old man was sitting at one of the armchairs in front of the fire, looking as though he had a hangover. To Ichigo's surprise and delight, his hollow - Shiro, as he had taken to calling him - was sitting across from Zangestu and looked better than he had in ages. Neither had noticed him enter.

"Hey, guys. It's about time you woke up. I was starting to get a little worried." he said, scratching the back of his neck. The two beings in the room saw through his attempt at humor as slight apprehension and fear.

"I assume someone has awakened us from our seal?" Zangestu asked, his voice rugged and hoarse.

"Yeah, Old Man. Nine hundred years is a long time to sleep, don't you think?" All the spirit could do was nod his head and hum in agreement. Shiro remained silent, and although it would have worried Ichigo when he was younger, it was now a typical occurrence. "Hey, Shiro, you're looking better."

The albino man turned to look at Ichigo, who was standing in the doorway still. "Yeah, I don't know what it is, but there's something in the air. It's giving me strength, whatever it is. I just don't know if it's a good thing or not." Ichigo took a moment to mull this over.

Soundlessly, a tray appeared with cups of steaming hot chocolate. Ichigo crossed the room and grabbed two cups, handing them to his companions before he grabbed a cup for himself. He sat in an armchair between the two and blew on the steaming liquid. "I missed you guys." Wordlessly, the two men placed a hand on his arms, giving him the comfort that he had missed the past nine centuries.

oooOOOoooOOOooo

Hermione's heart hammered in her chest as she walked through the corridors. Was she really going to do this? She had no other choice. Hermione needed this paper to be perfect, if she wanted to keep her 'A' in divinations. Not that she would admit it, but divination turned out to be Hermiones worst subject. Her straight A status was only hanging on by a thread. She was hoping that if she could get a good grade on her Myomancy paper, then Trelawney wouldn't be so harsh on her in the future. Of course, Hermione never did think that Trelawney's mind was all there. To Hermione, divination was nothing more than a lot of hogwash based off of loose canon assumptions.

Although Hermione put her grades above everything else, she wouldn't dare go to one of her professors for help. She didn't want to taint her intellectual reputation. What if one the professor went to Trelawney? No, Hermione couldn't - _wouldn't_ \- risk it. This was why she was scurrying down the halls after dinner. There was no where else to turn. Hermione tried looking for books in the library, but there wasn't a single one on Myomancy, or divination through rats and mice. She heard about a shop on Diagon Alley that performed Myomancy readings, but it wasn't like she could go there.

She just hoped her trip to Ichigo's chambers wouldn't be for naught.

The young witch slowed to a halt when she reached - what she thought - was Ichigo's quarters. The only thing she was told was that it was between the Gryffindor common room and the Slytherin common room. Hermione followed that path, and this was the first door she had come across that wasn't a classroom or a closet of some sort. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Hermione raised an hand to knock on the door.

When her knuckle hit the wood the door creaked open slightly. Was Ichigo even here? Hermione vaguely remembered seeing him run off during dinner, but where else would he go other than his own chambers? Without thinking about the consequences, she pushed the door open further, peering into the room. She saw lit torches inside, so she assumed that Ichigo was indeed inside. Hermione stepped into the room and shut the door behind her.

Hermione didn't expect Ichigo's rooms to be so… lush. If anything, she would expect them to be bare, save for a knick knack here or there, but not what she saw. Her eyes were drawn to the prone figure sitting crossed-legged on the large bed, his eyes closed and face relaxed. Hermione panicked, was she going to get in trouble? She _had_ knocked first. When Ichigo made no movement, Hermione relaxed. Perhaps the man was meditating. Ichigo was clearly from Japan, and Hermione knew that meditation was a common practice in Asian countries. Not only that, but Ichigo could be seen as a warrior, so his need to meditate seemed very likely.

Seeing no present danger, Hermione turned towards the large bookshelves against the wall. Although his collection was nowhere near as extensive as hers, it was impressive. The vast collection contained all sorts of texts, from muggle novels and education, to wizarding textbooks and lore. Hermione couldn't help but pick up a muggle novel from the shelf and sit down on an empty couch in the room. She remembered hearing about it from her parents, but had never actually read it. Forgetting her initial goal in visiting Ichigo, she opened the book and began reading.

An hour or so later, Hermione heard shuffling behind her. She placed the open book page-down on the seat next to her to keep her place and turned towards the man on the bed. Ichigo was stretching, groaning to himself about something or the other, but he appeared much more rested and relaxed than Hermione had ever seen him. To her confusion, Ichigo wasn't upset or even surprised when he saw her sitting on his couch. That was something that disturbed her greatly. Surely he hadn't just been sitting there with his eyes closed? Hermione figured that the man probably had an enchantment on the room or the like to alert him when guests arrived.

"Miss Granger, is there something I can help you with?" he asked, not moving from his position on the bed.

Instead of asking for help on her paper, the only thing that came to mind was "Why do you have so many books?"

Ichigo's eyes migrated to the bookshelves before he turned back to Hermione. He simply shrugged. "I find myself with quite a lot of freetime. The only places where I am required are joint classes and meals. With that in mind, I like to drink tea - personally delivered by Dobby - and read."

"Most peacekeepers don't find entertainment within a book."

"Well I'm not most peacekeepers, am I, Miss Granger?" His eyes carried a knowing glint as if there was an inside joke that Hermione was expected to know. Was he trying to hint at something? Hermione was tired of all of the questions that came to mind when she was around Ichigo. Perhaps her, Harry, and Ron did have something to worry about after all.

"You know Dobby?" she asked.

Ichigo nodded. "Yes, he is a free elf. I find that very reassuring. Back in my day, that wasn't possible."

Hermione's eyes lit up. "Would you like to join S.P.E.W.? It's a house elf activist group that I've recently started."

"That seems like a wonderful idea." Hermione walked over to his bed, pulling out a badge from the pocket in her robe and handing it to Ichigo. He took it from her hands and pinned it to his shirt.

"We don't have many members," she explains. "So we're trying to raise awareness by wearing these badges. Now that we have a staff member wearing one, people might take it more seriously."

"Thanks. Now, was there an actual reason for you sneaking into my chambers?"

Hermione blushed, she had forgotten. "Oh, yes. I need some help with a Myomancy paper for Trelawney. I really just can't stand divinations, and I couldn't find anything useful in the library for it. Plus, I don't want to ask Trelawney directly."

Ichigo grabbed his chin in thought. "I personally find divinations an enjoyable subject, although it isn't always correct. I know some things about Myomancy, but I've never found much promise in it. Something about trying to tell the future by the length of a rats' tail doesn't seem very productive." Hermione laughed. Perhaps there was much, much more to Ichigo than anyone had thought.

 ** _*Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, hope you all enjoyed the holiday._**

 ** _**Currently seeking beta reader for this story. If interested review or PM._**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 _Be Our Guests_

* * *

When the announcement came about the visiting schools, Hogwarts became a flurry of activity. The students were buzzing and the staff were preparing. Ichigo managed to throw in a few helpful hands here and there, but he had not been very invested. Both Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were founded after his sealment - as was Hogwarts - so he only had glimpses of understanding and memories about the schools. Ichigo found himself almost as excited as he was before the first day of school. What would their students be like, and how did their level compare with those of Hogwarts' students?

After being amongst the students of Hogwarts for a month or so, Ichigo could tell what they knew, which was very selective. They knew almost nothing about the Dark Arts, which wasn't surprising due to their lack of proficient professors in the subject. That was the only thing Ichigo admired about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, he at least knew how to teach, albeit in the wrong way. According to Harry, their last Defense Against the Dark Arts professor turned out to be a werewolf. It was a popular rumour amongst the students that the position was cursed, and that no one ever lasted more than a year.

Ichigo didn't doubt it.

He had become rather close to Harry and his two friends, Hermione in particular. She was like a little sister to him now, and it was a bittersweet feeling. She reminded him of Yuzu constantly, her sweet but stern personality almost identical to his little sister. Hermione was her own person, however, and Ichigo found many qualities within her that made her something unique. She was loyal, and easily flustered. She was extremely intelligent, but didn't have any kind of street smarts. She loved to read books and learn everything she could. Ichigo was happy that there was a young wizard so eager to move forward and push themselves. She would often find her way to his chambers, whether for help or just to talk, and she mostly had her two friends with her.

Harry was like a nephew to him, in a way. Ichigo was interested in his hobbies and his well-being, and liked to speak with him. Although Ichigo didn't enjoy Quidditch the way Harry and Ron did, he listened to them talk about their favorite teams, and agreed to go with them to the next world cup. Hopefully, that one would go better than this year's had. Ron felt like a little cousin to him since they weren't as close as Ichigo was with the other two, but that was alright. Ron would often complain about his relationship problems and hand-me down clothes, and Ichigo would always listen. His inner spirits would often tease him about it.

The past few days, however, they had been eyeing him warily, Hermione the most of all. Ichigo at first hadn't noticed, it was Shiro who had pointed it out. For the life of him, the wizard couldn't place what he had done that would have made them so suspicious. The only thing that had come to mind was his zanpakuto, but that was in plain sight for all the students to see, and none had ever come to question it. Of course, they all carry around wooden sticks to protect themselves, so that could make them be less cautious around physical weapons. That still left Ichigo with an unanswered question, though. Whatever he had done, it seemed to affect them personally.

Thus it didn't come as a surprise when they cornered him in the hallway after Moody's class. They looked genuinely hurt, and Ichigo couldn't help but feel awful inside for whatever he had done to hurt them so. They pulled into an empty classroom.

"Okay, man, fess up," Ron spoke first. "We know you're not being honest with us, so just tell us why you're here, as if we didn't already know."

Ichigo tried to calm them down. "Okay you three, let's just-"

"We heard Professor Binns and Headless Nick talking about you, so there's no reason to keep lying to us," Hermione interjected.

"Yeah, mate" Harry chimed in. "If you're a spy for Voldemort, than just tell us know so we can deal with you."

Ichigo couldn't help but laugh. "What?" Ichigo pulled the three into an uncomfortable hug. "I thought I had actually done something wrong. You all actually had me worried there for a moment."

Ron broke out of the hug. "We're being serious."

"Oh come on; Granger, Weasley, Potter, what in the world gave you the idea that I'm a death eater?" Their expressions quickly turned flustered.

"We heard Binns and Nick talking about how you were sent to spy on Harry Potter, and that they were scared to go anywhere near you. And we see the way some of the other teachers look at you," Hermione explained.

Ichigo sighed. "Oh you poor children. Alright, come with me," Harry, Ron and Hermione were hesitant. What if he was leading them to their doom? What if he was going to lead them to a trap and dispose of them? Despite their better judgement, they followed the man anyway, forgetting about their next class. Curiosity did kill the cat, or in this case, three naive students.

He lead them to his chambers and the four of them entered silently. They took their seats on the couch and armchair in front of the fireplace, Ichigo in the latter, understandably. "I am not a death eater, first and foremost, quite the opposite, actually. But, I am spying on you three, and I suppose Binns and Nick do have a good reason to be frightened of me."

"And why is that?" Ron asked.

"Let's just say that I have certain... assets, that they do not find very appealing."

"And what could those possibly be to scare a ghost?" Hermione asked.

"Always the clever one, always asking the right questions," Ichigo replied. "My background is very unusual, and it might be a bit hard to grasp. I find myself struggling to find a way to explain, actually," Ichigo took a moment to think. If he had the time, he would simply ask Dumbledore to come here and explain it himself, since he would most likely do a much better job. "I was a warrior, a soldier on the losing side of a war."

"I was the last trick up our side's sleeve. This war had taken many lives, and although it happened very quickly, we could never get a foothold. There was this one man, Aizen, who lead the other side, and his power was immense, much more than You-Know-Who could ever hope to achieve. He created undead warriors that outnumbered us dramatically. He harnessed the power of a very special stone - not unlike the sorcerer's stone - called the Hogyoku, something that granted its user immense power. He easily defeated our leader, a very wise and powerful old man."

"At first, I stood no chance against him. I had to fight with my own power in order to gain the most out of it. I defeated it, and I gained strength that I had never imagined. It was when I went to battle Aizen that everything went wrong," flashbacks of a destroyed Karakura town filled his mind, of beaten comrades. A dark and heavy pit fell in his stomach, and he struggled to find words. "I guess our power was too much, I don't really know what caused it. I was never very smart about stuff like that. My friends always teased me about not having a lot of common sense."

"Anyways, somehow both of our worlds collapsed into each other, and everything was destroyed. I suppose being the one with the most power, I managed to survive it. The next thing I knew I was waking up in this world, right before the time of Christ. To the best of my knowledge, the world rebooted itself, but none of my kind existed anymore... I was alone... my family and friends - everyone I knew was gone. I didn't really have a purpose anymore, the only reason I had ever really fought was to protect those close to me who couldn't protect themselves."

"I was desperate, so I tried to give some of my powers to the only one crazy enough to believe my story. But instead of making someone like me, I ended up creating the first wizard. I was upset, but I didn't try it again. I was worried that I might end up killing someone, so I stopped trying, assuming that it wouldn't pass on. Well, to my surprise, his children had the same abilities that I had given him, and they kept passing on to the next kin. I also found out during this time that I had stopped aging."

"I suppose it's because Death could not claim my life for I did not belong to this world. Most things I can only assume, because I simply don't have enough knowledge to actually answer them. With my powers being in every witch or wizard that came into this world, I am connected to all of them, even you three. I suppose that's why I'm such easy company. Eventually, for reasons I don't wish to explain, I had Merlin seal me away, until recently, when Dumbledore awakened me to keep an eye on you. Unfortunately, I don't wish to get too involved with your matters, so that's really all I can do is to protected you physically. Hence why I'm here."

"...Suppose what you're telling us is true, that still doesn't explain why Binns or Nicholas would be afraid of you. Does that have to have something to do with 'your kind'?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. I'm known as the Grim Reaper, both in this world and what used to be mine. I can leave my body in order to send spirits to the 'other side' so to speak. Or through the veil, as you would have it. I had other tasks, but those are unimportant now."

Ron stared at him, his mouth agape. "Can you still do that?"

"I still have some abilities, yes, but most have been lost in favor of magic. My sword, or katana, is the only physical remnant of my old life."

"It must be hard, being the last one."

Ichigo looked at Harry. "It is. But I'm not really alone anymore, am I? I have you three, and the other students, and Dumbledore. So it's not all bad, not really," he replied. The three remained in his rooms for the rest of the day, Ichigo excusing them from their classes. He told them stories of his family and old friends. It was uplifting to finally talk about those he lost in depth, it finally gave him some sort of closure. Somehow, that pit in his stomach seemed less heavy, less daunting, and more like a sense of purpose, pushing him towards bigger and better things. Ichigo was glad it happened with these three, for he wouldn't have it any other way.

When the sun left the sky, Ichigo sent the students back to their dorm, not wishing to keep their company any longer. He was surprised that they had believed his story without much questions, but with the things that they had been through, Ichigo could see how they were very open-minded. Once they returned to their common room, Ichigo set out for Hagrid's hut. They had started somewhat of a weekly dinner, and Ichigo had not realized how late it had gotten, so he quickly ventured out to the half-giant's home.

When he reached the home, he didn't bother to knock, knowing that his visit was expected. He was mistaken in his however, when he tripped over Hagrid's dog, who was laying in front of the doorway. A loud thud resounded, alerting Hagrid of his new guest. The half-giant entered the room and found Ichigo sprawled on the floor, his hound sitting on top of the man. Ichigo didn't seem to mind too much, however.

"Perhaps I should've knocked first, I supposed," Ichigo joked. Hagrid laughed and helped the wizard up.

"I'm glad yer here Ichigo, I was worried you weren't goin' te show up tonight. Thought perhaps you got yerself wrapped up in a student fight or somefin."

Ichigo dusted off his clothes. "No, I just lost track of time is all. So, what's for dinner tonight, friend?"

"Stew," Hagrid explained as he left for the kitchen. Ichigo followed behind him and sat at the table next to the fireplace, where a large pot sat over it. The room was warm and inviting, and the air around it was calm. Hagrid served them dinner once the stew was done cooking and they ate, making small talk as they did so.

"So, what do ya think of the tournament?" Hagrid asked after a particularly loud sip of dinner.

"I'm not sure, actually. I'm a bit surprised that something that dangerous is held for only 17 year olds, but I can't really talk. I am excited to see the other wizarding schools, though."

"I heard," Hagrid whispered as if there was someone else in the hut, "That the headmistress of that French school… is tall."

Ichigo stared at the half-giant. "Tall?" he asked.

Hagrid nodded. "Yeah, I heard, that she's almost as tall as me."

"Wow, that's quite a feat. Are you interested?"

"How could I know that? I ain't met her yet!" he said, his cheeks turning a darker shade. Ichigo chose not to comment, instead he smirked as he sipped another mouthful of stew. They finished dinner quickly after that, and parted ways soon after. Ichigo returned to his chambers. It was now late into the night and he wanted some rest. The new schools would be arriving soon, and he wanted to make sure that he kept his guard up. Something about this triwizard tournament didn't seem right to him. It didn't sit well with him in his stomach. Also, now that Harry, Ron, and Hermione has some idea of who he was, he would have to see how that changed their relationship. He hoped it wouldn't be too severe of a change.

Ichigo heard a distorted voice in his mind, _'I wouldn't worry too much over it, King. You always attract lunatics, so they'll stick around.'_

 _'Honestly, I'm not sure if that's to comfort me, or to offend me.'_ He replied.

 _'He means well,'_ Zangestu said. _'Take the encouragement as you can, you and I both know how rare it is.'_

 _'That is true, I'm just glad he's filling strong enough to be snarky.'_ Ichigo replied.

 _'Hey, I'm still here you two.'_ Zangestu and Ichigo rolled their eyes.

 ***Shout out to new beta reader, AWholeFleetOfShips**

 ****Sorry for the short and late chapter, but I had finals over the past two weeks and tried to get this chapter out as soon as I could. Don't worry, I have mighty fine plans for the next one.**

 *****Reader Header -**

 **In response to your review, the decision to make Ichigo a peacekeeper was made with lots of consideration from multiple aspects. Ichigo could not be a teacher because he appears far too young to have spent enough time studying a certain subject to teach it, and he would be confined to one portion of the school for most of the day. He also could not be a teacher's assistant for this reason, which inhibits his ability to look after his main objective - Harry. If Ichigo were to become a professor, then he would have the Ministry of Magic breathing down his neck, disrupting his focus and blowing his cover. Also, Ichigo is only supposed to observe joint-classes, when there is a larger group of students for one teacher and the tensions are much higher. Ichigo is also there to protect the students from any and everything, including professors themselves, as in this case, Moody. My final reasoning on the selection is that Ichigo is not, in fact, an actual peacekeeper. Although Ichigo has taken up the responsibility literally, when Dumbledore had assigned it to him, it was meant to be nothing more than a title and not an actual job that needed to be filled. I hope this better clarifies the reasoning for this choice of position for Ichigo, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.**

 **Thalia**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 _Nightmare_

* * *

It was dark and raining. The fog had settled around him, enveloping him in its embrace. Thunder boomed in the distance, following its blinding predecessor.

Ichigo stood in its midst, confused and disoriented. He didn't where he was or how he had gotten there. He couldn't understand what was going on. His mind wasn't working properly, it wasn't working like it was supposed to be, he couldn't - he couldn't _think_.  
Everything was marbled, yet the sense of dread was unyielding, the only thing that his mind could process, could understand.

His body moved of its own accord, one foot stepping in front of the other. He walked for what seemed like eternity, with no destination or hope of salvation, until he reached the edge of a graveyard. The air around him sung of death and solitude, but  
still, his body pushed on. Ichigo begged it to stop, to bring him to safety instead of peril, with no luck. Slowly, the dark silhouette of an aged house came into view. It wasn't long until Ichigo found himself pushing open the door and creeping inside.

He heard voices, at least, he thought they were voices, he couldn't quite tell anymore. They were hushed, their meaning lost on Ichigo's foggy mind. His body trekked forward, hauling itself up a flight of stars. Ichigo could make out a form huddled over  
a chair with… something sitting in it. Suddenly there was a loud hissing sound in his mind. It was loud, and the sound _hurt_. The man gripped the sides of his head, willing it to stop. He briefly registered something brushing against the side  
of his ankle, but left as quickly as it had come. He saw figures moving, but they were muffled and darkening. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain - like fire - crawling in his chest, and then,

He woke up.

Cold sweat stuck his clothes to his lithe form. His heart was beating far too fast to be possible, and Ichigo found that his disorientation had followed him into the real world. His head throbbed and his chest ached, unbelievably so. Ichigo tried to send  
something, anything, to Dumbledore to alert him of his unsavory state, but he couldn't get his magic to work. Panic spread throughout his being. He threw the covers off of his body, suddenly scorching hot. Sweat dripped off his brow in rivers. Ichigo  
swung his legs over the side of his bed, and made the mistake of trying to get up. His legs trembled under his weight and he sunk to the floor, his back to the edge of his bed.

He heard muffled yells inside of his mind, but he paid them no mind. Ichigo commanded his magic, he mumbled spells and jinx, trying to just get it to _work_. His flustered impatience took the last of what little energy he had left. The door to his  
chambers opened slowly, and then it seemed to slam open, vibrating the floor under Ichigo. He recognized someone coming in, shaky and cold fingers touching him, grabbing him, shaking him. The world suddenly turned sideways as his mind finally gave  
way to fatigue.

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Hermione found herself to be a very observant person, she noticed things that many did not. Ichigo's absence was something everyone noticed. At first, nothing seemed amiss. It wasn't uncommon for the man to miss a class here and there, after all, he was  
a busy man. At least, as far as Hermione, Ron, and Harry knew. Although they were still skeptical about the man - as they should be - Ichigo had never harmed anyone in the school, in fact, he was helping them. He got onto some bullies who were teasing  
Neville. He helped Hermione with homework, Ron with girls, and Harry with his woes. He helped everyone in some way, even Slytherins, albeit only a few. Some just refused any type of help.

It was when he missed an entire day's worth of classes that they began to worry. Students would take both curious and worried glances to where the wizard would usually stand, and slowly hushed whispers spread. Even teachers seemed curious to where Ichigo  
had gone, which made Hermione very apprehensive. 'So, it's not something that was planned…' The young girl thought back to when Ichigo had told them about why he was really at the school. She began to worry that maybe he had gotten himself in trouble,  
something her and her friends seemed to do on a daily basis. Nodding to herself, she scribbled down a note and passed it to Harry, who read it and in turn passed it to Ron.

 _'We should go look for Ichigo… ~ Hermione'_

After their last class ended for the day - once again without Ichigo - they made their way to the man's chambers. The door was unlocked, as it usually was. Ron and Harry thought nothing of it, but like said before, Hermione noticed things they didn't.  
If Ichigo didn't lock his doors on a regular basis, that could mean one or more of three things; either he didn't have anything to hide, he trusted too easily, or there was something intangible protecting his chambers. Hermione leaned towards the  
last one, particularly because they were witches and wizards, and many things in their lives were intangible.

Surprise filtered across their faces as they took in the state of his bedroom. It was in shambles! The books from his shelves were in disarray across the floor, his bed sheets torn to shreds, furniture topped over and broken.

Ron stepped into the room and picked up a book, dusting wood shavings and dust off of the cover. "What do you… I mean… Do you think he was attacked…?"

The other two stepped into the room behind his head. Hermione shook her head. "I'm not sure… it was definitely magic that did this, but there's no blood anywhere, so I don't think he was attacked. Also, for someone to make this far into Hogwarts without  
being noticed, is nearly impossible."

"Unless the foe is hiding as a friend." Ron and Hermione looked at Harry. It wouldn't be the first time, nor would it be the last someone wasn't who they said they were. Specifically the Defense against the Dark Arts professors.

"Harry," Hermione began, "who do you have in mind?"

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Granger!"

The three turned to look at the open doorway, where stood the young house elf Winky. She was tugging a cart full of various cleaning supplies behind her, no doubt there to clean up the ruined room.

"Winky? Do you know what's happened?" Harry asked her as she stepped inside. The elf shrugged her shoulders as she began picking up the books on the floor. "Headmaster Dumbledore asked me to clean this room. Said something about Mr. Kurosaki being ill."

"He's sick?" Ron asked. "Then why is his room bloody Hell?"

Winky shrugged. "I do not know, Winky was not told anything, but I do think Mr. Kurosaki is somewhere in the infirmary." That was all it took for the trio to head off towards their new destination. The halls were fairly empty now that the school day was  
technically over. Not many students paid them any mind as they jogged down the hallways. It wasn't uncommon for them to be running for some reason or another.

It also wasn't uncommon for there to be a few kids in the infirmary this time of year. Magic could perform amazing feats, but alas, it could not cure the common cold. Not that the students minded, after all, they were getting out of class. Their eyes  
were caught by a bed in the corner with its curtain pulled around it for privacy.

"What if it's not him, and we're bothering a random sick person?"

"Don't worry, Ron, I'm sure it's him." Harry answered. They walked at a hurried pace, but not too fast as to disturb anyone. When they reached the bed, Harry and Ron pointedly looked at Hermione. She sighed and turned towards the bed. She muttered a quiet  
'excuse me' and pulled the curtains aside. It was Ichigo.

He was either asleep or unconscious, the trio couldn't tell. A light red was covering his features, and Hermione knew without touching that he had a pretty high fever. His breathing was quick paced and rapid, but not enough so to cause actually worry.  
The thin pajamas he was wearing clung to his sweaty skin in sleep. He seemed restless, uncomfortable and distressed in his state, occasionally thrashing out at an invisible foe. The three students were unsure of what exactly they should do. Harry  
pulled over three chairs, and they sat next to the bed, silent.

It seemed like mere moments before the sound of someone clearing their throat behind them interrupted their thoughts. "Headmaster?" Harry asked. The three turned around to face the man.

"It seems as though Ichigo has made himself quite at home at Hogwarts, especially considering how much his absence has affected everyone." Dumbledore explained.

"Headmaster, what's wrong with him?" Hermione asked as she stole another glance and the prone form in the bed.

Dumbledore sighed, the smile on his face disappearing. "I wish I knew the answer to your question, Miss Granger. Madam Pomfrey herself is stumped."

"You don't suppose…" Harry began, "that it has something to do with who he is, do you?"

A mischievous gleam filled Dumbledore's eyes. "Ah, so he's told you then. I would assume so, but I must admit, my knowledge of him is quite lacking, I'm afraid." The elder stood up and placed a hand on Hermione's and Ron's shoulders. "Come, children,  
dinner is about to start and you'll do Ichigo no good by going hungry."

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

When next Ichigo woke, it was on his own terms. He floated in and out of consciousness for what seemed like an eternity, before he decided that enough is enough. The first thing Ichigo noticed when he stirred, was that he was utterly and mind-numbingly,  
sore. His limbs felt like dead weight, and he felt an overwhelming sense of lethargy and stiffness. Ichigo did feel, however, significantly better than he had when he last woke. He noticed Madame Pomfrey fluttering about the room, tending to the few  
students there. When she noticed he was awake, she scurried over to his bed.

The two were silent as she did, what Ichigo assumed was, a routine check-up. The two of them were silent as she worked, poking and prodding at the man. Ichigo thought about asking her what was going on, but decided against it. He doubted that she really  
knew anything about what was going on, even he himself did not. After a particularly sharp jab in the chest from a wand, Madame Pomfrey helped prop the man up, stuffing an ungodly amount of pillows behind him. She prodded him some more before she  
shoved a foul tasting juice down his throat and left. It wasn't long before he had another visitor.

Dumbledore conjured a chair and sat next to his bed. "Ah, Ichigo. I'm glad to see you awake, how are you fairing?"

Ichigo shrugged slightly. "I'm not quite sure, actually, although I'm not in pain, so I consider that a good thing."

The headmaster smiled in agreement. "Do you remember what happened? I, myself, am a bit puzzled by this ordeal."

Ichigo thought for a moment before replying, "Not a lot. I had a dream, and it just felt… wrong. Then there was pain, and I woke up. I will still in a great deal of pain and for the life of me, I couldn't get my magic to work. Then… nothing."

"I see…" Dumbledore stated. "Quite peculiar indeed. Well, you've been ill for a long time, a week or two I'd say. You had a high fever, and you mumbled and trashed in your sleep, or unconsciousness, we weren't very sure. What concerns me most is that  
you couldn't access your magic and for someone of your caliber, that is most alarming." The man looked out the window. "In other news, I'm sorry to say that you've missed the arrival of the schools, as well as the drawing of names. Someone charmed  
the cup, it drew Harry's name, and the contract is unbreakable. I can't help but feel as though the fiasco with the cup has something to do with your illness. But what do I know, I'm just an old man?" With that, Dumbledore left Ichigo alone with his  
thoughts, the chair he conjured dissipating into a sparkling mist.

To say Ichigo was disappointed would be an understatement. The wizard had been looking forward to seeing the schools' arrivals since they were announced. Ichigo wondered what they were like. The students had spoken to him about the two schools, but nothing  
too in depth as they had never seen them before either. And who would have charmed the goblet? His thoughts immediately trailed to Professor Moody, but he dismissed the thought. Ichgio was suspicious of the man, but he hadn't actually done anything  
so far. Perhaps he was just a spy? Ichigo shook his head, that didn't seem right either. Why would Moody charm the cup, what would he gain? He didn't want Harry dead, or he would've tried to kill the boy by now. No, there was something else going  
on.

 _'You shouldn't think too hard, King, you might hurt yourself.'_

' _Haha, very funny.'_ Ichigo replied.

 _'But seriously, you need to take it easy. Whatever that dream was, it wasn't right. It did stuff, man, it did stuff inside here, messed things up real bad. The old man and I aren't sure exactly what, but it's been pouring in here while you've been sleeping like a baby.'_

 _'Where is Zangetsu?'_

 _'He's resting. He's been trying to fight off… whatever it is that's been going on. I've tried, but it has no effect. We're getting into some real deep shit, King. You need to watch yourself.'_

Ichigo nodded in response. Memories of him trying to use his magic unsuccessfully filled his mind. He looked at the bottle of disgusting juice that sat on the nightstand. He grabbed his wand off the stand and pointed his wand at the bottle. _"Wingardium leviosa."_ To  
his surprise and delight, the bottle lifted into the air. It did not make it high before it fell back onto the table, shattering. Ichigo scowled at the display. At least his magic was working, albeit only a little, but it was something. The small  
spell took the wizard's energy, and he decided to get some more rest.

When he woke again, he had even more visitors.

"Dobby, what are you doing here?"

The house was sitting at the foot of his bed with another house elf he had never seen before. "Dobby was very worried about you, Ichigo sir. You see, Dobby was bringing Ichigo his daily tea, when I found you quite confused on your floor. Dobby got Headmaster  
very quickly, yes he did, for he was worried about his friend."

Ichigo smiled. "Thank you very much, Dobby. Who is your friend? I haven't met her before."

Dobby gestured towards the female elf next to him. "This is Winky, sir. Winky cleaned your room for you while you rested. It was very dirty, yes it was. Madame Pomfrey also asked her to help you get better."

"That's exactly right, Dobby." Madame Pomfrey said from beside Ichigo, startling the man. "See, Mr. Kurosaki, after being bedridden and unconscious for so long, your body has become very weak. A wizard's body is a very complex thing. I've asked Winky  
to help you build back up some strength. I've taught her some exercises to run through with you at certain intervals throughout the day, starting now."

"Madame Pomfrey, I don't think that's really necessa-"

"Young man, do not argue with me! If you try to push yourself too early you'll just hurt yourself even more, and the students already miss you enough as it is." Madame Pomfrey and Winky helped him do simple things, like making fists and raising his arms  
and legs. All of them simple things, but they made him incredibly sore and tired. Ichigo was beyond confused. Due to his shinigami and hollow abilities, he was able to regenerate at incredible rates, so being incapacitated by something as small as  
a fever was very foreign to him. Was this one of the things that his dream messed with? Hopefully not. How was he supposed to help protect Harry like this?

They finished after what felt like forever. Madame Pomfrey and Dobby left, both having to get back to work, leaving Ichigo alone with Winky.

"Winky, don't you have to get back to work?" he asked.

"No, sir. Winky's only job now is to help you. I have nothing else to do in between your exercises, so I will stay here with you."

"Don't house elves usually have more tasks than this?"

Winky nodded. "Yes, sir, but Winky is a free elf, like Dobby, so she is treated differently from the others."

"You're free as well, that is wonderful! Do you like it?"

"Not at all." She replied.

Ichigo's eyes widened. "What, why don't you?"

She looked at the floor. "Elves are supposed to have masters, to belong to someone. Winky likes having a master, it made her feel safe, but now Winky does not have that. Winky does not have anything to strive for anymore, now she is lonely."

"But you have Dobby."

She shook her head. "It is not the same, sir."

"I see… Well, I'm sorry to hear that, Winky." Ichigo replied. Winky stared at Ichigo for a moment, before she excused herself to go get Ichigo's dinner. He had no more visitors for the rest of the night, and Ichigo found himself falling asleep again after  
he ate. After a few more days of resting and rebuilding his strength, he was allowed to leave the infirmary.

Winky helped the man return to his chambers slowly but surely. He had not regained his strength completely, nowhere near it, actually, but he was making progress. His roomed looked the same as ever when he returned, but he did notice that everything in  
it had been replaced. "Winky, what happened in here?" The elf shrugged as she guided the man towards his bed.

"Winky does not know, but the furniture and everything else was destroyed, so we replaced everything," she explained. Winky helped Ichigo change into a black kimono, similar to his shihakushō. Now that he could get out of those awful pajamas Madame Pomfrey  
forced him to wear, he wanted to be more in something more comfortable than his usual clothing choices. Ichigo thanked Winky for both helping him dress and cleaning his room., as well as help him recover. It did take a lot off of his mind.

"Hey, Winky?"

She looked up from where she was putting away his pajamas. "Yes, sir?"

"I was thinking, you've been so kind and helpful to me lately, and it really has been relieving. Do you, I mean… would you like to work for me?" Winky's eyes widened. "I mean, you obviously don't have to if you don't want to, but I just thought, you might  
enjoy having me for a boss instead of working at the school, but I guess I was mista-"

"... yes."

Ichigo looked at her. "I'm sorry, what?"

She smiled at him. "Yes, Winky would very much like to have Mr. Kurosaki for a master instead of working at the school. Winky will go tell Headmaster right away!" Ichigo smiled as she left the room in a hurry.

Perhaps something good turned up from this whole ordeal.

 ** _*I'm so sorry for the late chapter. My school suffered from a shooting when we returned from our winter break, so everything was put on hold until recently. I hope you enjoy this chapter, however, and that you leave a review! :)_**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 _Fleur Delacour_

* * *

Something seemed to snap within Winky once she became Ichigo's elf. She did everything with a new vigor, a new purpose. Ichigo honestly didn't know how he felt about it, but he supposed it was a good thing. She was always behind him, like a shadow, despite his pleadings to walk next to him instead. Ichigo was slowly beginning to gain back his strength and as such, his exercises were gaining more vigor as well. Talking walks throughout the grounds during the day was one of them.

Despite it being the middle of november, Ichigo found that it was quite warm outside, and made that his destination. Winky followed him as usual, the little pitter patter of her feet soothing the old shinigami. He wasn't used to being waited on like this, but her presence was reassuring in a way, dependable, if you would. Ichigo smiled when he stepped outside, a cool breeze ruffling both his hair and kimono. His sandals crunched the stiff grass underneath his feet as he moved towards a bench, sitting down on the smooth stone.

"Winky, please don't sit on the ground. There's plenty of room on the bench next to me." Ichigo pleaded.

"Do not worry about Winky, sir. Winky likes the ground, it is soft and I like the smell of the Earth. It is very soothing for Winky, yes it is. But… Winky is thankful that she has such a kind master, that she is."

Ichigo smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I suppose as long as you don't mind… But if you change your mind, don't hesitate to say so." The elf nodded, which put the man's mind to rest. The warmth of the sun beat down on his back, and he smiled, content. He closed his eyes and rested against the back of the bench, nearly falling asleep.

"Excusez-moi, may I sit next to you?"

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

"Charlotte, who is that man over that?" Fleur asked her friends as they walked the grounds of the castle.

"Qui?" Fleur pointed at a man sitting on one of the benches, a house elf at his feet. "Oh, that man. He must be important if he has a house elf. I have not met him myself, but I've heard the students here talking about him. Apparently he is sick? Je ne sais pas, but they seem to be attached to him. It is très sweet, is it not?"

Fleur glanced from her friend back to the mysterious figure. "I'm going to speak with him." Charlotte shrugged and left Fleur to her own devices. Fleur sauntered towards the bench. The elf looked at her warily, but the man seemed to pay her no mind.

"Excusez-moi," she began, "may I sit here?" The man opened his eyes, and she was shocked by how much older he looked with them older. She was also shocked by how brown they were, but that was of little consequence.

"Of course, don't mind me," he said, and closed his eyes again.

Fleur did as she was told and sat down, but she couldn't quite ignore the man. "I like your hair very much."

He opened his eyes and glanced at her, and then looked up at his hair. He smiled and laughed softly. "Thank you. I almost forget it's such an outrageous color sometimes, but I'm glad you enjoy it."

"Is it natural?" She asked.

Without missing a beat he replied, "Is yours?"

Fleur found herself quite offended. "Of course."

"Well then, there's your answer." He closed his eyes again and settled back down. "You know, today is supposed to be the last nice day of the year, so let's enjoy it while we can."

Fleur smiled. "Yes. It is sad, no? I very much like the sun, and I shall be sad when it is gone."

"But we'll still have the moon, won't we? And the stars. When people lose a large part of their life, they forget about the other small gifts they still have."

Fleur looked at the man again, noticing once more how youthful he looked when she couldn't see his eyes. "You know, you are très wise for your age. It is refreshing to speak with a man who is unclouded by my attributes."

"You're part Veela, aren't you?" he asked.

"So you are affected by my aura?"

He opened his eyes and looked up at the sky, as if looking for words. "It is hard to explain. I can sense that there is something pulling me towards you, but it is muffled, as if locked behind a glass door. I'm a bit out of tune with my magic, which might be why it's like that. I'm sure that when I get it back fully that the door will unlock and I'll be pulled to you like every other man."

"Well then, perhaps that won't be such a bad thing." She replied. The man looked at her, and smiled, actually smiled. Fleur found herself wanting to see that smiled much more often.

"So, I assume that you're from the Beauxbatons? If your outfit is any indication."

She nodded. "I am the champion for my school, and I carry that responsibility with pride."

"You're the champion? Well, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Why is that? To participate in the triwizard tournament is an honor, a privilege."

The man stared at the ground. "It's nothing to concern yourself with. I'm just a grumpy man who's got old-fashioned views of the world, I suppose.

"I don't think you're grumpy, or old fashioned, despite your choice of dress."

He looked at his kimono and laughed. "Really? I quite like this kimono. Do you really think it looks bad?"

"Well… It is not the most flattering choice, but I do believe that anything would look nice on you." Fleur's face turned a very dark shade of scarlet when she realized what she had said.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? I'm sure I'll have to look into this later, but for now, why don't you tell me more about your school?"

"Well, as I'm sure you know, it is in France, and…" the two continued to talk like this for a while. Talking about the schools and swapping jokes and stories, they enjoyed each other's company. Fleur found herself very happy to have gone up and introduced herself. They continued to talk, even when the sun began to set. They were interrupted by the man's elf, who pulled on the sleeve of his kimono.

"Sir, it is time to return for dinner and your exercises."

He looked at the darkening sky and laughed. "Oh my, it's seems I've been silly and lost track of time. Thank you, Winky, we should be getting back." He made to stand up, but did not make it on the first attempt. Fleur watched with concern as his elf tried to help him, but he shooed her away playfully. "I'm fine. I've just been sitting down too long, is all." He tried again and sure enough, he was able to stand up just fine. He folded his hands in his sleeves and turned to look at Fleur. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss. I'm sure we're going to talk again soon." He bowed slightly and turned to walk away. Fleur watched the man's retreating form.

Hopefully, very soon.

Fleur met up with her friend Charlotte and went to dinner. She had forgotten to ask for the man's name, and planned on asking either Cedric or Harry for it. Afterall, Charlotte had said that the students all cared about him. Now, Fleur had a bit of an idea why, although she was sure there was a lot more to the young man than she saw. After taking a few bites of her dinner, she decided to go ask Cedric first, but found that he was too busy talking to another girl to talk to her. So, she decided to ask Harry, the only other Hogwart's student that she knew. She may not like the fact that he was a child in the tournament, but they were fellow champions, and she would treat him as such.

She was not too surprised to find the boy sitting by himself, with the exception of that Hermione girl that he supposedly had a crush on. Not that she could really say anything. Her eyes wandered back to Cedric, before she shook herself out of those thoughts. She approached the boy, ignoring the thoughts of the others at the table. Hushed whispers spread throughout the table, but she ignored those two. She took a seat next to the boy, surprising him and making Hermione wary, Fleur could see it in their eyes.

"F-fleur. What are you, what are you doing here?" Harry stuttered.

"I have a question to ask you. There is this man, and I do not know what his name is."

"Well, what does he look like?" he asked.

"He has orange hair and brown eyes."

"Oh, you mean Ichigo."

"Ichigo?" Fleur asked.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, he's not really a teacher, I guess. He's more like a guardian I guess."

"Why in the world would Hogwart's need a guardian?"

Harry looked away. "Well, the houses can get pretty nasty to each other, so he's here to kind of, well, keep the peace, so to say. But he's been sick for a while now, so things have gotten worse lately. He hasn't been in class for close to a month. Everyone misses him, ya know?" Fleur nodded, her mind filling with thoughts. It seemed like a guardian position seemed to fit the man - Ichigo - well. He was very kind, but also seemed like the kind of person to stand up for what was right. Although, it seemed to her that Ichigo was a bit feeble. After all, not just anyone gets sick for almost a month. He also had a house elf, so he wasn't used to doing things by himself. He depended on other people. Fleur thought for a moment about Ichigo depending on her, and found herself quite happy with the thought.

"Fleur?"

Fleur jumped and looked at the girl. "Oui?"

"Are you okay?" Harry asked.

"Oh yes, quite good. Where can I find him?"

"His chambers are in between the Slytherin and Gryffindor common rooms, but students were asked to give him some space so he can get better. So, we haven't seen him since he first got sick."

"I see, thank you Potter, Granger." Fleur gave him a hug and left in favor of her own table. Perhaps Potter wasn't as much of a child as she had thought.

With all of the fuss of the tournament, such as the wand weighing and the interviews with Rita Skeeter, she did not have a chance to go visit the man, nor did she see him around the school again. It wasn't until the weekend that she could go look for Ichigo. It didn't take long for her to whittle out the location of the common rooms from other students, and from there it just became trial and error. She searched until she finally came to the painting of the fat lady, who pointed her in the right direction.

And that was how Fleur came to a lone door, at the corner of the staircases. She raised her hand to knock, but began to have second thoughts. What if this wasn't even Ichigo's room? What if he didn't remember her? After all, they had only spoken for an hour or two almost 4 days ago. What if he was sleeping, or in the middle of something? Maybe she had made a mistake. She turned to leave, but she strengthened her resolve. She turned back around and knocked on the door before she had a chance to stop herself. To her relief, Winky answered the door. Fleur smiled as Winky opened up the door and invited her in.

Fleur instantly felt at home as she stepped into the room. The low light and comfortable furniture easing her worries, as well as the large bookshelves and fireplace. Her eyes were drawn to the figure resting on the large bed, who was reading a book with his legs crossed. He had yet to look at her, eyes focused solely on the pages. Winky moved to her sides and pulled on her dress. Fleur leaned down as Winky whispered in her ear. "Sir is finishing the chapter. Give him a minute, he's normally a fast reader." Fleur was surprised, but did not say anything, not wanting to disturb the man. She found herself a seat on the couch across from the fireplace and turned her head towards Ichigo. As a last minute thought, she quickly brushed her fingers through her hair and smoothed out her outfit.

True to Winky's word, it wasn't long before Ichigo sighed and he closed the book. He looked over at Fleur and his eyes widened. "Oh, Ms. Delacour, when did you get here?" Said girl instantly stood up, hastily flattening out her dress even though she had just done so. "Oh, not long," she replied.

Ichgio turned his book over so that he could see the cover of it, which was hidden to Fleur. "It is amazing to see how muggles view wizards, is it not? They craft such stories and ideas that would bewilder some, yet amaze others." He held up the book for Fleur to see, and she stepped forward to do just that.

" _The Paper Magician_ , what is that?" she asked.

Ichigo invited her to set on the bed across from him, and his eyes lit up as he explained. "In this world, magicians are bound to only one element of their choice for their whole lives. The main character Ceony, wants to work with metal, but she is forced into paper magic because they are a dying kind. At first she detests the idea, until she meets her mentor, Thane, whom she ends up falling in love with, as well as paper magic as she learns to bring stories and her imaginations to life through it."

"Woah, it sounds… beautiful. Do you often read books? In your freetime, I mean."

Ichigo set the book on the nightstand next to him and thought for a moment before responding. "If I'm in the mood. Usually, I don't have as much free time as I've had lately, but I like to fill it in relaxing ways. We have so much time to stress and fret, so why not enjoy simple things while we have the chance?" Fleur watches as Ichigo picks up a small cup filled with a greenish brown liquid. The smell of it distracts her for a moment, before she returns her attention to the man in front of her. "But enough of my babbling, to what do I owe this pleasure, Ms. Delacour?"

Fleur's cheeks flushed yet again. Why had she come to visit?

"I wanted to… talk more about the tournament, since you seem to know a lot about it."

"That depends on what you want to talk about, about the tournament."

Fleur titled her head slightly. "What do you mean?"

"I am a man of many things, one of which is loyalty. You see, despite what it may seem, Harry Potter and I have a very strong friendship. I do not interfere with anything that involves him. He needs to do things on his own, with his own strength and ability. As such, I am extremely limited on what I can talk to you about regarding the tournament. Anything I say could tip the tournament in either favor."

"I understand… I think…"

Ichigo laughed again, heartily. "You don't have to. Go ahead and talk about what you want, I just may or may not have a response."

"Seems easy enough, I suppose… I know that the first task involves Dragons. Do you know what?" She began.

"Yes."

She waited for an answer. "Well… What?"

"Can't say." He said curtly, as if it was obvious.

Fleur huffed at the man's response. "Okay… Have you ever been in the triwizard tournament?"

Ichigo shook his head. "Nope, never."

"Why not?" Fleur asked out of curiosity.

"Because, it wasn't a thing where I went to school," he replied. He took another sip of his steaming drink.

"Where did you go to school?"

Ichigo sat his cup down on his nightstand. The man winked and brought his finger to his lips. "It's a secret."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 _Dragons_

* * *

To say Ichigo was nervous, would be an understatement. The man had seen, fought, and bested many different beings in his life, but he would _never_ go anywhere near a dragon. I mean, just look at the things! They could chop his body in half with just one bite, and to think that this was the first challenge. Ichigo couldn't help but watch in trepidation as the contestants entered the champions' tent from his spot in the stands. Unfortunately, he did not have clearance to enter the tent. Although he was sure that Dumbledore could give it to him, he knew that there was a reporter was inside there, and he thought it best to stay away. Ichigo felt bad for both Harry and Fleur.

He considered both of him to be his friends, and the last thing he wanted was to pin them against each other. But Ichigo had a job to do, protect Harry's body from harm, and he couldn't do that very well from inside the tent either. At least up here, he could cast a charm or two here and there rather inconspicuously. This was the first time he's seen the other students since he got sick, and it was nice. He only spoke to the few who noticed him in the stands, two of them being Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom.

"Ichigo, how nice it is to see you up and about. I do hope you are feeling better."

Ichigo smiled. "I am feeling much better, thank you Luna."

The young blonde smiled in reply. "I hope you don't mind if Neville and I join you?" Ichigo shook his head and the two sat next to him. Luna was wearing a rather strange outfit - as usual - but Ichigo choose not to comment on it. Whatever made her happy. Neville seemed his usual nervous self, although Ichigo knew he was beginning to build up some self-confidence. Ichigo was glad for the boy, he needed some thicker skin. His knowledge of herbology was unmatched, and Ichigo knew that he was destined for great things.

They made light conversation, nothing too mentally challenging. At least, Ichigo didn't think it was, his chest was lurching more and more the longer it took for the champions to leave their protective tent. Not that he wanted to hurry up the process at all, it was _dragons._ His friends were in danger, and although he was slowly regaining his strength, he wasn't sure what use it would be, against a _dragon._ Honestly, he had no idea how people wanted to work with them for a living. He listened as Luna and Neville prattled on about their classes, and what had been happening with the students. Neville spoke with him about how the Slytherins were starting to act up since he was MIA - and just when Ichigo thought he was making some sort of progress.

Everyone silenced when the first champion left the tent. Even from his seat high in the stands, Ichigo could make out the slim form of Fleur as she cautiously stepped out into the field. Her chosen dragon hissed at her as she neared. Ichigo's hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he took in the scene. His magic began to simmer under his skin as he watched the dragon try and swipe at the girl. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Although the rush of adrenaline was one he hadn't felt in a long time, he didn't want to push himself too hard. No, until he knew what was going on, he couldn't afford to be rash.

He settled once he noticed that the dragon was asleep. He smiled in pride as Fleur danced around the dragon. Ichigo could only imagine the fear and stress that was racking through her thin frame, but she didn't let it phase her. She was strong, he knew, and he was confident in her abilities, even though she was going up against dragons. After a very unfortunate wardrobe malfunction on the dragon's part, she was able to collect the egg. Ichigo was more than happy to applaud her for her job well done. She disappeared back into the tent after giving him a small wave and smile.

To put it simply, Harry looked as though he was going to throw up the second he left the tent. Which, in hindsight, Ichigo couldn't blame him. The dragon bellowed and roared at Harry, and Ichigo found himself wondering what course of action the boy would take. Whatever it would be, Ichigo had to make sure that the boy wasn't hurt. Harry hadn't put his own name in the goblet, so this must've been the work of Voldemort, or his minions at least. And although Ichigo could not force Harry's success in the tournament, he could protect him from bodily harm. They boy had a destiny to fulfill, and it didn't include dying in the competition.

Ichigo watched as Harry ducked behind a rock in order to avoid a breath of fire. The shinigami cast a small protection charm on the boy to protect him from burns and bites. Anything more than that would take too much of his energy, and it would look extremely suspicious to the spectators. They would accuse him of cheating, and although he was, Harry's goal wasn't to win, he just wanted to survive. Ichigo just hoped that the dragon wouldn't try to scratch or throw him, of course, Ichigo was well aware of how rotten his luck was.

Ichigo was surprised when Harry summoned his broom. Why hadn't he thought of that? Well, there was a reason Harry was the chosen one after all. Ichigo knew their luck had suddenly run out when the dragon broke free of his chains and Harry raced out of the field. Ichigo stood up too quickly and stumbled his way out of the stands. He heard Neville and Luna shout at him, and he called back something about forgetting to take medicine or the like. He weaved his way through the chaos of people, hoping that none too many would take notice of him. If he were to disappear just when the dragon broke free, it would look rather suspicious, but he hoped that his excuse to Neville and Luna would be sufficient enough to cover his disappearance.

Ichigo felt guilty about Winky struggling to keep up with him in the crowd, but knew that she would understand the rush. By the time that Ichigo made it out of the stadium and towards the direction Harry had disappeared in, Ichigo watched in aggravation as Harry returned, golden egg in hand and dragon nowhere to be seen. "Are you kidding me?" Ichigo muttered, "As soon as I get out of the stadium, he's already done, now I did all that work for nothing." Although Ichigo's tone was one of contempt, he was actually quite proud of the young lad. His quick return meant that Harry was a very formidable wizard, one with not only brawn, but brains as well, something which made Ichigo's chest swell. The shinigami folded his hands into his kimono and headed back towards the castle, he had seen enough of this trial, and he had to at least attempt to support his false alibi.

Ichigo was unsurprised when a hesitant knock resounded off his door a couple hours after the first task had ended. Winky went to answer the door, but before she could reach it, a fatigued and rather sweaty Harry Potter poked his head in. Winky pulled the door open so he could step into the room. The young boy climbed onto the bed that Ichigo was sitting on, and sat down cross-legged, facing the man.

"Hello Harry." Ichigo smiled.

"Hi, Ichigo... how are you feeling?" the boy asked timidly, his shoulders slightly tense.

Ichigo wasn't perturbed by the small sense of awkwardness that filled the room, after all, they hadn't spoken since he had gotten sick. "Much better, thank you. I watched you today, you did great."

Harry visibly relaxed. "That's so good to here. You really had Hermione and I worried. I thought I saw your hair, when I first got there, but when I came back after getting the egg, I couldn't find you."

"Ah yes," Ichigo replied, "I had forgotten to take my medicine and Winky was freaking out, so she forced me to return before we saw the outcome of your task." Ichigo could feel Winky's eyes boring into him for his blanton lie, but he would explain it to her later. "On other news, how are you, Ron, and Hermione?"

"Hermione and I are doing great! Ron, on the other hand…"

Ichigo leaned forward more, a scowl marring his features. "What's wrong with Ron?"

Harry shook his head. "Nothing as far as I know, but he's refusing to speak with me. He thinks that I put my name in the Goblet and-"

"Did you?"

Harry looked at Ichigo, flabbergasted. "Of course not!"

"Did you tell him that?" Ichigo inquired, leaning back in his bed.

"I've tried, believe me." Harry answered, looking down at his hands. "He just won't listen."

Ichigo shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. If he's really your friend he'll come around."

"And if he's not?"

"Well, you can cross that bridge when you get there. It's your life, your choice. I can't tell you every decision you should make."

Harry laughed. "You're the only person who hasn't tried to tell me what to do, and honestly I'm not sure how I feel about it."

Ichigo smiled. "Well then, go crazy."

There was a soft knock at the door. Winky left her spot dusting the bookshelves and opened the door. Fleur stepped in the room, but paused when she spotted the two talking. "Oh, I'm sorry Ich- er, Mr, Kurosaki, I didn't realize you had company."

Ichigo's smile brightened. "No, that's alright, please, join us."

Fleur blushed and turned her gaze to the door. "I do not wish to impose, I'll just come back later-"

"That's okay," Harry interrupted. "I was about to leave. I think the Gryffindors want to throw me a party or something. Maybe Ron and I can talk then. Bye Ichigo, I hope you feel better soon."

"Thank you Harry, enjoy your party." Harry nodded and left the room, the wooden door falling closed behind him. He made his way to the Gryffindor common room, thoughts swirling around his head. Harry was right, they did throw a party for him, and Ron did apologize to him. When the party finally came to an end, it was late into the night, with only Harry, Ron and Hermione left in the common room.

"How was Ichigo?" Hermione asked, sitting on the couch across from the fireplace. Harry sitting in the adjacent armchair and Ron on the floor.

Harry answered, "he's doing a lot better. He had a good color."

"That's great," Ron sighed. "I was starting to get worried there for a second.

Harry nodded in agreement. "Yeah, although, before I left, Fleur showed up at his room."

"Really?" Hermione rubbed her chin. "That's odd. Come to think of it, she did ask about Ichigo a little while ago, didn't she?"

"What do you think's going on?"

"Maybe they're, you know, together?!" Ron sputtered.

"Ron, be serious," Hermione chided. "Ichigo says he's like a thousand years old. Besides," Hermione blushed, "what would he even see in her?"

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

"Je suis désolé." Fleur said as she walked farther into the room. "I really did not mean to interrupt the two of you."

Ichigo scooted over a bit to make room for Fleur to sit next to him. "Don't worry yourself over it. Harry and I were just catching up."

Fleur took the offered seat, holding down the bottom of her dress as she sat down next to the man. "Oh? But, I thought you two were close?"

"We are, we just haven't spoken in a while."

"Since you were sick? Harry mentioned that before, I think. Pardon-moi, but I did not listen when he said that we were supposed to give you space… if you don't mind me asking, what is it that you have?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest, I just had a bad spell, I suppose." Ichigo explained. "I'm getting better, though. In fact, I plan to return to work as soon as tomorrow. I watched the task today to see if I was ready for it."

"Oh yes," Fleur smiled. "I remember seeing you! Did you like it?"

Ichigo nodded. "I enjoyed watching you, yes, the dragons… not so much."

Fleur blushed. "Is that so?"

"Yeah…" Ichigo pulled on the top of his kimono and cleared his throat. "So, was there something you needed, shouldn't you be celebrating your victory?"

Fleur shook her head. "No, no particular reason I suppose. Oh, I figured out what to do with the egg."

"Is that so?"

The young woman bit her lip. "If I tell you, will you tell Harry?"

Ichigo shook his head. "Despite what it appears to both you and Harry, the young boy must fight his own battles. I can only support him, not give him the answer."

Fleur smiled, apparently pleased with his answer. "As soon as the task was finished, I had returned to my rooms to freshen up, since my clothes were singed and I was covered with soot. I decided to clean the egg as well, and while I held it under the water, I decided to open it. Oh, it sung the most beautiful song."

"About what?"

Fleur leaned into his ear. "Sirènes," she breathed.

Ichigo couldn't help but shudder.

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

True to his word, Ichigo returned to his peacekeeping duties two days later. All of the students were overjoyed to see the man in good health and back to work. They took great joy in telling him about everything that's happened over the past month and all of the things that he's missed. Harry returned to confiding to him about things that plagued his mind, Ron continued to talk about his problems with girls, and Hermione - despite it being so close to Christmas - continued to ask for his help with homework and school. Ichigo was happy to oblige with each and every student that came his way, and soon enough, everyone fell back into their old routine.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 _Linked Dreams_

* * *

"Ichigo, to say I'm concerned would be an understatement." Said man fidgeted in his chair across from Dumbledore's desk.

"Believe me, Albus, I'm just as confused as you are. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I meant what I said back in the infirmary, it was a dream, _just_ a dream, but it's affected my magic, and my physical health. Even I am at my wit's end trying to figure out what it is." Winky placed a timid hand on her master's arm in an attempt to soothe him.

It wasn't a surprise that Dumbledore would try and figure out what had happened to Ichigo once he was able to use his magic again. Ichigo, at first, had not been too disturbed by the event, but the more he thought about it, the more confused and worried he became and his nervousness did not go unnoticed by those closest to him. "Whatever the cause," Ichigo continued, "it needs to be dealt with."

 _How am I supposed to protect people if I can't even protect myself…?_

A hesitant knock at the door of Dumbledore's office brought the two out of their thoughts. A scraggly black-haired boy entered the room, "Professor?"

"Ah, Harry, come in! I'm glad you could join us," Dumbledore chimed. Harry stepped further into the room and sat down next to Ichigo, confusion spread across his face. "You see, Mr. Kurosaki, Harry has problems with nightmares quite often, and now that you've gotten a rather nasty one, I can't help but feel the two are related."

Ichigo turned to the boy. "Harry, why didn't you tell me you had nightmares?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know, it just didn't seem that important, but if you're having them too… maybe Professor Dumbledore's right." Ichigo nodded in agreement as Dumbledore moved to the side of his office and waved his hand as what appeared to be a large ornate hand washing bowl appeared. Ichigo and Harry both stood and joined Dumbledore.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked.

"A Pensieve," Dumbledore answered. "It allows one to view another's memories, and hopefully, help us get to the bottom of what's ailing you, Mr. Kurosaki."

Ichigo's eyebrow raised. "And what did you have in mind, headmaster?"

"Simple," the man pressed his wand against the side of the shinigami's head and pulled out a glowing blue strand. "This is your dream, at least, what you can remember of it. I'm going to place it in the pensieve, and Mr. Potter and I are going to watch it. Dreams are powerful things, as I'm sure you're aware. Best for us to get an idea of what we're working with."

Ichigo nodded, giving his consent, although, he wasn't entirely sure he had a choice. He watched as Dumbledore placed the strand into the water, and as he and Harry dunked their heads in as well. It was several minutes later when they both emerged, their breaths short and faces full of concern.

"That, I mean, that was," Harry stumbled. Ichigo guided the young wizard to a chair as Dumbledore found the way to his. The three sat across from each other, dismay etched across their features. "That dream," Harry continued, "I've had the same exact one. It's Voldemort sitting in the chair, I know it is, but why did you have the same dream Ichigo? You've never even met the man, and you said the dream took away your magic, but it never did anything like that to me."

"Perhaps…"Dumbledore mumbled to himself. He looked towards Ichigo, who returned his gaze. "Mr. Kurosaki, you said that you were connected to every wizard, because, they all have a piece of your power… do you think that's what's causing this?"

Ichigo leaned back in his chair and rubbed the back of his head. "Although that's true, it's not quite as simple as that, I'm afraid. I'm not so much connected to the actual wizard, but to their magic specifically. I can spread out my own magic, and connect to versions of my magic within other wizards, and sense the world through it. This process, however, is very taxing, so I cannot do it on a whim, I enter a similar trance-like state to the one you awakened me from, and even then, my mind and body are not strong enough to retain all of the information I gather, so I quickly forget small details and events, only remembering what's important."

"But this doesn't go both ways. The versions of my magic flowing through you and Harry, and everyone else, is not strong enough to make that same connection back to me, so that doesn't explain why Voldemort is sending me dreams as well, nevertheless why it caused me to loose my magic. In all honesty, I don't think Voldemort is even aware that he's sent me the dream, or that I even exist. He is not behind this, but something else is, and it seems to be out of our control." The three looked at each other, a growing sense of unease filling the room.

Dumbledore dismissed the two of them, each of them going their separate ways, Harry to the gryffindor common room and Ichigo to his own quarters farther down. "Winky, oh Winky, what do you think of this whole mess?"

Winky shut the door behind her master as he stepped farther into the room, scurrying to get his clothes for the night out of his dresser. Once she sat them down on her bed, she stepped back and paused to think about Ichigo's question. "Winky does not know, sir."

Ichigo turned his head back to face the elf as he slipped his pj shirt on over his head and smiled. "Hmm, try again. Think really hard."

Winky closed her eyes and tried to concentrate, finding the words to convey her thoughts. "Winky… thinks that perhaps, something is connecting You-Know-Who and yourself, and it's not the obvious. Mr. Potter is connected to the dark lord because they encountered each other when he was a babe, perhaps something similar is occurring now."

"That is, an interesting perspective, Winky." Ichigo admitted. Ichigo finished dressing and sat cross-legged on his bed. He placed the back of his hands on top of his knees and closed his eyes. "Winky, I'm going to be… meditating for a while, so please don't disturb me until I am finished." Ichigo did not wait for an answer before he fell into his inner world, trusting Winky to take care of things in his absence.

The furniture of his room faded into the warm study that was his inner world. The smell of a roaring fire filled his nose and he sighed, always content in the deepest part of his soul.

"Well, King, glad you finally decided to stop by." Ichigo turned to see the hollow version of himself planted in an armchair across from him.

"Where's Zangestu?" The wizard asked. He moved across the room and sat down next to the hollow.

"He's resting."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Still?"

Shiro nodded. "I'm just as surprised as you are, King. The old man, he used a lot of energy fighting - whatever that thing was - and now he just can't seem to get back on your feet. I'm not sure if his absence while battling was what caused you to lose your hold on your magic. It's strange though, I've never seen him so… exhausted."

"My nightmare... do you know what it was?" Ichigo couldn't help but ask.

Shiro sighed and shook his head. "No. Zangetsu probably has an idea, like always, but he's a bit incapacitated at the moment." Ichigo's fingers found the sides of his temples as he rubbed them in soothing circles. He could already feel the headache forming.

Sleep did not come easy to the shinigami that night. His thoughts were too scrambled, jumping to conclusions and theories, racing around a mile a minute, far too fast to actually stick to an idea. If Winky noticed her master's distress, she did not mention it the next morning. It was during his morning class that he first heard word of the Yule Ball. Students couldn't seem to stop talking about the never-before seen dance at Hogwarts, much to the distress of the professors. It was no surprise that at the end of the day, many students had chosen their partners.

"Have you ever been to a ball, Ichigo?" Hermione asked, the golden trio sitting around the fireplace in Ichigo's room a week later. The Yule ball was drawing nearer, and the buzz was unmistakeable.

Ichigo closed his mind as he thought. "No, actually. Not in this sense, anyway. I've been to gatherings and galas, but never with a partner or anything. I was expected there for my status and duties, not for entertainment or love." Ichigo admitted.

Ron frowned. "Aw, tough luck man, that's no fun. Although, I'll be in a sorry state if I can't find a date?"

"Why do you need a date? Can't you just go on your own?"

"You don't understand, Ichigo." Hermione spouted. "The only thing these balls are good for is so that these _boys_ can one-up each other based on their partners, as if we didn't have any feelings." The following silence was deafening, the tension thick enough to slice with a knife. Harry and Ron both looked towards Ichigo as if he was the last hope of humanity.

"Hermi-"

Hermione abruptly stood up from her spot next to Ichigo. "I'm leaving. I'll see you boys tomorrow." The three pairs of eyes followed the young girl as she left the room.

"Geez," Ron murmured. "What do you think got her knickers in a twist?" Harry and Ichigo's stare bore holes into the boy's head.

"What?"

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Ichigo was on his way to his last class of the day, when he was stopped by a very flustered Fleur. "Ms. Delacour, what can I do for you?"

The young woman looked at the shinigami before she said in firm tone, "we need to talk."

Ichigo scratched his head and began to walk past her slowly. "I'm sorry, Fleur, but I really should get to class. After all the time I've missed, I really shouldn't mis-"

The veela grabbed Ichigo's sleeve and looked at the man. "It can wait. Please… I need to ask you something."

Ichigo paused and looked at the young woman. "Is there something wrong?"

Fleur let go of Ichigo's sleeve in favor of the hem of her dress. "Well, no. It is just, you know how the Yule Ball is coming up?" Ichigo nodded. "Well, you see, I was wondering if… If, well, if you'd want to go… with me." Fleur stammered.

"Oh." Ichigo grimaced. "Ms. Delacour, I'm not entirely sure how appropriate that is. I mean, I work at the school, and you're a student."

"I thought you would say that," she began, "but I don't see a problem with it. Yes, you do work here, and yes, I am a student, however, you are not a teacher, and I am not a student at this school. Also, you don't look that much older than I, 5 years at the most I would say." Fleur paused, the sudden rush of confidence leaving her. "That is, I will not force you to go with me, or anything. I just, I thought it would be fun, and I enjoy speaking and spending time with you, and-"

"I'll go."

"I just think... you'll go?" Fleur's eyes widened. "Really?"

Ichigo sighed, but smiled softly. "You convinced me. Plus, I enjoy spending time with you too."

Fleur threw her arms around the man's frame, "Thank you!" before she scurried off. Ichigo watched the slim figure disappear down the hall as he scratched the back of his neck and continued to class.

 ***I normally don't leave author's notes, but this chapter was so difficult to write! I probably scrapped and rewrote the chapter at least three times. I know how I want the story to go up until the end, but the specific parts and conversations and such I'm writing as I go. But nothing, and I mean nothing, felt right about this chapter. I decided to just write the bare minimum or I would never finish, so I'm sorry this chapter was so short! Be sure to let me know what you thought of it!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 _Tainted Memories_

* * *

"Lord Ichigo!"

Said man turned behind him to watch his apprentice approach him. "Merlin, please, I've asked you not to call me that."

The middle-aged man shook his head at his mentor. "No matter how many times you ask, I just can't. You've created everything that we are, and you've been my personal mentor for almost two decades now. The amount of respect I hold for you holds no bounds, sire."

Ichigo sighed as he pulled the scarf tighter around his neck. "Still doesn't hurt to try. C'mon, it's bloody freezing out here." The two entered a relatively new tavern on the relatively new Diagon Alley. Ichigo was working personally with the ministry to create a safe haven for magical folk, but the progress was slow and taxing.

The smell of butter beer and greasy meat assaulted the men's noses as soon as the door opened to the establishment. They pick a table off to the side and out of the way, after all, they weren't exactly unknown wizards, and they wished to converse in peace. "Merlin, I was searching and found a book that I want you to read." Ichigo pulled out a hefty leather-bound book from his satchel and slid it across the table. The younger wizard accepted the parcel and opened it, staring at the small handwriting lining the pages.

"Honestly, I'll never know how you manage to find all the books that you do. I don't even want to imagine how much you've spent on your collection."

Ichigo waved his hand dismissively. "You just have to know the right people. Plus, I've lived for an extremely long time, so my contact list is quite extensive." The two laughed as a woman approached the table.

"What can I get for you boys… oh my word, are you…?"

Ichigo sighed while Merlin laughed some more at his mentor's expense. "Yes, yes we are. We'd prefer, however, if you didn't make a big deal out of it ma'am." Merlin winked and the woman blushed.

"Of, of course! I just saw his hand wave, so I thought he wanted to order something."

Ichigo smiled, but shook his head. "No, sorry. I was just speaking with my friend here."

"Oh, but my lord, please, I insist! I'll be right back with our best butterbeer." With that, the woman scurried off to the kitchen of the tavern. Ichigo scowled and murmured profanities under his breath.

Merlin nudged his arm playfully. "Awe, c'mon Lord Ichigo, accept at least a little of what's offered to you."

"But I don't want it," the shinigami protested, slumping down into his seat. "I just want to go outside and be treated like a normal, everyday wizard."

"Are you kidding? Everyone in the wizarding community knows who you are. You are the founder of our kind, the Ebon Phoenix, you deserve the praise given to you. All the work you've done, all the people you've saved, it's the least people like us can do."

"But I'm the one that caused it."

Merlin glared at Ichigo. "Did you out the wizards and witches?"

"Well, no." he answered.

"Did you hunt them down and take them from their homes?"

"That has nothing to do with-"

"Then tell me, did you tie the nooses? Light the pyres? Chain the weights to their ankles?"

Ichigo looked at him, offended. "Of course I didn't!"

Merlin sat back in his chair. "Then I don't understand why you feel that you're responsible for things the muggles have done."

"But… if I hadn't given you all the powers in the first place, then the muggles wouldn't be hunting down our kind and murdering them left and right. Mothers have been taken from their children, husbands from their wives, I can't just stand by and watch them perish for the things I've given them. The powers from my past lives allow me to bring some back. They allow me to fetch the souls of the recently deceased that are stuck in limbo before Death's claim on them, and return their souls to their body with the help of my magic."

"You people call me a phoenix for bringing the dead back to life," Ichigo's hands clenched into fists on the table, "but I can't save everyone. My powers only work a few hours after their death, and only on beings of magic. I can't help but feel responsible for these witch trials, so I attend all that I can, and I try to bring them back after their killed. They shouldn't have to die for an ability that they didn't choose, that they can't control, that _I_ gave them…"

"But sometimes," If Ichigo's voice wavered, Merlin didn't comment on it. "Sometimes, I'm not fast enough, sometimes from a few days, to a few hours, to a few _minutes_ , and I can't _do_ anything. I get there, and I find their cold corpses, or what's left of them, and I can't help but feel that it's my fault someone just lost their loved one. Everyone praises me for saving the few that I do, but I shouldn't be praised, I shouldn't be thanked. I should be punished, I should be cast out, despised, because it's my fault and I just, I can't…"

Merlin had never seen Ichigo lose his composure, and to watch the man in front of him break down like that, well, it was a sight Merlin was content to never see again. Ichigo wept, and it wasn't manly, it wasn't pretty, it was human. He was silent except for his audible breaths, but he did not wail. When he finally did calm down, he did not speak for the rest of the night, and Merlin did not see him the several days that followed.

When Ichigo showed up a week later with a new set of books to start a new lesson, Merlin didn't question it.

oooOOOoooOOOOoooOOOooo

"Mr. Kurosaki, can err-, may speak with you?"

Ichigo looked up from where he had been standing in front of his door. It seemed as though he had been lost in his memories again. "Ah, Mr. Malfoy, of course." Ichigo turned to his friend. "Winky, why don't you go grab us something to snack on while we chat?" The house elf nodded as she scampered to the kitchen to do as he asked. The shinigami nodded to the wizard, "come on in."

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

"But I don't understand where I went wrong, my lord. Is this not how the number chart should look?" Merlin asked. Ichigo leaned over his shoulder to gaze at the numbers on the parchment once more and shook his head, pointing to a specific number.

"This one is off by four. You assumed the number of months instead of using the formula for it. It's alright though, Arithmancy is a hard subject to grasp. With your abilities, I doubt it will be too much longer before you get the hang of it." Ichigo looked at the darkening skies outside the window. "It's getting late, I'll go grab us some dinner. Continue working." Merlin nodded as Ichigo disapparated out of his study.

The shinigami apparated outside the tavern they had begun to frequent over the past few months. The woman who had witnessed his, unsavory state, earlier in the year, had grown close to the two wizards, acting as an aunt to them. Carowin was a good woman, and Ichigo enjoyed her company and would often come with Merlin to visit her throughout the week. Tonight was no different.

The staff greeted him as he entered, and he returned the politeness, waiting for his friend to finish serving a table. Carowin finished and walked up to him. "Well, hello there Ichigo. Here for your usual, I assume?"

Ichigo nodded and smiled. "You always know just what I need."

The woman's eyes widened and she placed her hand over her chest. "Did you doubt me? Please, I know you boys like the back of my hand, you know. It'll be out in a few minutes."

True to her word, Ichigo's and Merlin's food was ready a few minutes later. Ichigo thanked the woman with a warm hug and a couple galleons. He bid the rest of the workers a good night and stepped outside, relishing the warm air.

" _Petrificus Totalus."_ The bag of food fell from Ichigo's hand as his body crumpled to the ground. The shinigami tried to force his limbs to work, but he knew it was a fruitless endeavor. The stiff joints and frozen muscles remained paralyzed. Ichigo wasn't surprised when he saw several hooded figures approach his from warily. When they saw he was no threat, two of the dark wizards hoisted him up and carried him off.

Ichigo lost consciousness on their journey, which wasn't uncommon considering the cursed placed on his body. When he awoke he found himself sitting down, blindfolded and tied up from his wrists up his torso. If the situation wasn't so dire, he would have applauded their captives for being so cautious. Obviously, the ropes kept him from using his wand, but the blindfold kept him from using wandless magic as well. He couldn't cast spells on something he couldn't see. He tried to disapparate, but there was a ward against that too. Ichigo cursed under his breath.

"Glad to see you're finally awake, I didn't think the curse would disable you so." The voice belonged to a male off to his right, if Ichigo's hearing was anything to go off. At the moment, it was the only thing to go off.

"What do you want? You should know that you aren't the only one to attempt something like this, and you won't be the last. What makes you think this time will be any different?" Ichigo replied, his tone one of indifference.

"You seem pretty sure of yourself for someone who's indisposed at the moment."

"Well, I know you aren't going to kill me, if you were going to, you would have done so already."

"You know wizards are dying, don't you?" Ichigo's breath hitched as the man moved closer. "Of course you do, we know what you're doing. You've been bringing them back to _life_."

"No, that's not-"

"Imagine what we could do if we had that kind of power." The was a rustle of fabric and Ichigo sensed the man even closer, his breath brushing against the shinigami's face. "Everyone would cower at our feet. We could rule the world, magical folk and muggles alike. We'd live forever, with your help, Ebon Phoenix. Not only can you bring people back, but your destructive power is one to be reckoned with as well. There's no telling how you could bring our enemies to their knees, begging for mercy"

Ichigo shifted backwards as much as he could, trying to get away from the man. "I'll ask you again why you think I'll help you. You and your followers, you're crooked people."

"Who'll be there to look after your apprentice? And what about that woman at the tavern, Carowin? And surely with such a tragedy, the construction of Diagon Alley would be put to a stop as well. All your hard work, for nothing."

"Merlin can take care of himself, that of which I have no question, and he'll look after Carowin. You have nothing against me." Ichigo's voice was firm. The chillness of the room settling against the base of his spine.

"And what about those trials? If you're stuck here, tied up, who's going to save all of your little children? If you help us, we'll let you save all those inbred half bloods and mudbloods. If not, well, all those poor innocent souls will die, all alone, desperate and in pain. And who knows, out of boredom, we may just kill some ourselves."

Ichigo's anger rose with each passing word and he shifted his arms, trying to get ride of his binds. "You cruel coward. You know that you have no power of your own, and so you steal it from the weak who can't defend themselves. And you have the gall call yourself a man." Ichigo shouldn't have been surprised when he was backhanded, but he still was.

"Hey, I'm not done talking with you!" Ichigo called out as he heard footsteps back away. "Damn it."

' _Ichigo, you need to calm down.'_

Ichigo paid no heed to warning voice inside his head, his emotions swirling around his mind without relent. Ichigo wasn't angry, he was down right furious. These men, these purebloods, thought they could get away with hurting innocent people? They thought that they could try and force _him_ to do their bidding? What imbeciles!

' _Ichigo, stop!'_

Ichigo's emotions and thoughts continued to spiral out of control. The shinigami's magic and spiritual pressure released in a sudden burst, burning the ropes on his body. The searing pain snapped Ichigo out of his stupor and he tore out of the rapidly deteriorating rope. Ignoring the burns on his arms, he peeled off the blindfold over his eyes, horrified at what he saw.

 _What did I do…?_

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Ichigo sat cross-legged on his bed, as per his usual. What was unusual, was the blonde-haired boy stiffly sitting across from him. "To what do I owe this pleasure, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco shifted uncomfortably. "Well, er, it's just that I heard that you helped students with their problems and… my friend has one he needs help with."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yeah."

Ichigo chuckled. "What is your friend's problem?"

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

" _Merlin, there is something I must ask of you…"_

Ichigo's thoughts were interrupted by Draco leaving his room, but they quickly returned to him.

 _Ichigo and his apprentice were in the latter's study, although 'tower' would be a better word to describe the building. Merlin was sitting at the wooden desk in the middle of the round room. His black hair was beginning to grey at the edges and the ever-present beard was sharing the same effects. The wizard had been hunched over, pouring into a book that Ichigo had given him. Said man was standing against the windowsill behind him._

 _Merlin's attention, now, was on Ichigo's request. "Lord Ichigo, I think you're over reacting. The wizarding world needs you, I need you! You've already taught me so much more than anything I ever learned at Hogwarts. You still need to pass on your knowledge, I still have more to learn from you. It was an accident, tragic, but it's no reason to-"_

 _Ichigo shook his head. He moved towards his apprentice and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You are an amazing student, I have no doubt of the great things you will do, but you won't need me to do them. If there's a chance that something like this could happen again, then the world doesn't need me anymore." Ichigo's eyes were drawn to the bandages on his arm. "Once all of this is over, I want you to make sure that I never existed. Take out all the books I'm mentioned in, act like you've never heard my name. Tell people that I'm a myth, a fable made up to comfort children."_

 _Ichigo took his wand out from his robe. "This will be the last spell I ever teach you."_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 _Festivities_

* * *

"Are you sure this looks alright?" Ichigo asked as he fiddled with the thin red tie around his collar.

Hermione slapped his hands away and straightened the piece of fabric for the fourth time that night. "You look quite charming, as long as you stop _touching_ it."

"I'm just not sure this is the best idea, I mean, I haven't done this kind of thing in well, centuries. Surely this is too inappropriate to continue, I'm not really sure why I even agreed in the first place…"

Hermione's eyes softened as she looked up at the man who had become an older brother to her. She moved to where Winky was standing next to the man's closet. She collected the black jacket from the elve's arms and brought it back over to Ichigo. Hermione hesitated before she spoke in a soft tone. "This might be the bookworm in me, but I think that truly, when it comes to age, it really is just a number."

Ichigo paused in his fidgeting and looked at the girl, no the young woman, silently asking her to elaborate. She smiled and continued. "We always say that life is too short for regrets, that we should follow our hearts, wherever they lead. But you, you live _too_ long for regrets. You carry the weight of mistakes and losses on your shoulders for centuries, death does not being reprieve to you as it does us. And it's not as if your body has aged with you, no, you could have any woman or man that you want, but you don't. You don't even look twice in their direction. Surely, if someone has managed to turn your head, then it's something you should look into, don't you think?" With that, the witch slipped the jacket onto the shinigami's shoulders, finishing his outfit.

"How is it, Hermione, that I've only known you for a few months, but I feel as though you've known me since birth?"

She winked. "Magic." Hermione grabbed her own dress off Ichigo's bed and moved to his bathroom to change as well. She stepped out and twirled the vibrant skirt with her hands. "What do you think?"

Winky looked at both of them and smiled. "Winky thinks you both look lovely. Very much. You better hurry, Winky does not want you late." With that in mind, the elf pushed the two out of Ichigo's chambers and shut the door behind them.

Ichigo smiled and held out his arm. "Milady, do I have the honor of delivering you to Sir Krum?"

Hermione giggled and took Ichigo's arm, her hand wrapping around the inside of his elbow. "I accept your gracious offer, Milord."

The two made their way to the Yule Ball, both of them nervous and excited about what the night would hold. They stopped before they descended the stairs towards the great hall, the air already brimming with music and laughter. Ichigo pulled away as Hermione gave the tie around his neck one more tug. "I'm going to find Victor, I hope to see you and Fleur on the dance floor." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and sauntered down the stairs. Ichigo's hands unconsciously raised to fiddle with his ribbon, but he stopped himself before he could and sighed.

The shinigami shuffled downstairs. The heat and noise washed over him as he reached the bottom, an entirely different world than the one he had just left. There was no turning back now. Several students walked past him, nodding in acknowledgement but not stopping to actually speak. He watched as they passed through the doors to the ball. Ichigo had barely walked away from the stairs before he was stopped by McGonagall, who pulled him to the side.

"Mr. Kurosaki," she began. Her voice was breathy and Ichigo could make out the small beads of perspiration that lined her brow. The poor older woman had been running herself ragged trying to keep the ball from falling apart before it had even begun. "Fleur has yet to arrive - which afterwards, Mr. Kurosaki, I should like to speak with you about in great length. Once she arrives, all of the contestants will enter the hall and lead the first dance, as you know. You and her will lead the way. Until then, wait here with the other champions." Ichigo nodded as McGonagall scurried off, most likely to avert another catastrophe as per her usual routine.

Ichigo greeted Harry and exchanged taunt pleasantries. He could tell the boy wasn't as excited for the dance as he, but it was to be expected. After all, Harry's first choice, Cho Chang, was already taken. Ichigo admired her oriental robe, and thought she looked beautiful, her attire reminding him of his past life and friends. His attention was pulled away when he heard Hermione giggle off to his left. The shinigami followed the sound until he stood before the young witch and her date. This was the closest Ichigo had gotten to the russian champion, and his gaze roamed over the young man.

Victor's head bowed, "Mister Kurosaki, it is an honor. Hermione has spoken a lot about you."

Ichigo laughed and held out his hand. "All good things, I hope. And just Ichigo is alright. Would you mind, Hermione, if I spoke with Mr. Krum for a moment or two?" Ichigo asked. Hermione eyed him warily but nodded nonetheless. She shuffled over to the others. Once he was sure she was out of earshot, his gaze on Victor hardened.

"Mr. Krum, I am sure that you are a respectable young man, but do know that I was a young man once myself." Ichigo's hand landed on Victor's bicep. A friendly gesture to those who were passing by, but if the force of the grip was anything to go by, it had a much more menacing agenda. "If you so much as look at her wrong, I'll know. And trust me Victor, that is not something you want. Do we have an understanding?"

The young man nodded tightly. "Of course, sir. I couldn't think of a worse injustice."

Ichigo smiled. "That's wonderful! I'm glad that we're both on the same page. Now that that's out of the way, we can-" Ichigo shivered as a light chill ran down his back and the hairs of his neck stood on end. His body tensed and the shinigami turned his form slowly, cautiously. Someone was approaching him from behind, Ichigo could sense the disturbance in the air. He prept his body, his hand unconsciously going towards the wand in coat, Zangetsu having been left in his chambers for the better part of the semester. Ichigo turned fully and his eyes widened.

"Wow."

Fleur was standing before him, her blonde wavy hair pulled up elegantly with a pale blue hair piece against the part of her hair. She wore a silver blue strapless dress that hugged her torso and waist, then cascaded to the floor. The tips of silver heels poked out at the bottom. There was a shimmer to her cheeks and eyes that Ichigo found difficult to take his gaze away from, and a soft shine to her lips that Ichigo could've sworn wasn't there the last time he looked. Not that he had been looking…

"Like what you see?" Fleur asked with a mischievous smirk.

Ichigo coughed into his hand, his face heating under her gaze. "Very much so."

Fleur smiled and grabed Ichigo's right arm, linking her's around his elbow. "Let us hurry, before Madame McGonagall catches us. I am late enough as it is." She hurried along, tugging a slightly dazed Ichigo behind her. They found their counterparts chating next to the entrance door. Ichigo smiled at Hermione when he caught her gaze before he and Fleur stopped at the front of the group. He looked at Fleur, "Are you ready?"

She nodded and tightened her hold on her arm. "Yes. I really like your ribbon, by the way. Very, how you say, refined."

Ichigo used his free hand to fiddle with said tie when McGonagall waved the large doors open with her wand. Fleur smiled at him, and he couldn't help but smile back. She really did look lovely. McGonagall ushered them forward. Ichigo and Fleur tightened their linked arms as they entered the hall. The roar of applause was deafening as the four couples speed down the walkway. They stopped once they reached the dance area.

Violin notes began to fill the air and Ichigo pulled away from Fleur. He smiled as he bowed to her with his hand outstretched. "May I have this dance?"

Fleur's smirked, "I thought you'd never ask." They stepped together in unison, Ichigo's arm melding against the curve of her back, Fleur's small hand sliding into his and the other resting to the left of his collarbone. She wasn't quite tall enough, even in heels, to lay it on top of his shoulder completely without being awkward. The rest of the orchestra joined the violins and they fell into the dance.

Step. Step. Step. Turn. Lift. Spin. .

"You are quite the dancer, Mr. Kurosaki."

Ichigo smiled and pulled her closer to his torso as they spun again. "Well, I've had a lot of practice." Fleur laughed, her warm breath brushing across him. "Not too much, I hope. I might just get jealous of your past partners, Monsieur."

"There's no need to worry, Miss Delacour. They pale in comparison to my current partner of choice."

Ichigo gripped her waist and lifted her once more. "Quite the flatterer are you not? Is that you how you have gotten the whole school wrapped around your finger?" Fleur questioned through the next step sequence.

He chuckled, and Fleur felt the vibrations through their connected torsos, "I wouldn't go so far as to say that. I'm just a peacekeeper, someone who watches from the sidelines. My job's already been done. It's these children who will tell the next story."

"Now, now," Fleur shook her head. They slowed to a stop, panting as the dance ended and the noise in the hall escalated. Ichigo's arms ached from the constant lifts and turns in a most refreshing kind of way. "We both know you are much more than a simple peacekeeper, don't we?"

The initial propriety and structure of the ball fell away as the hours ticked by, the orchestra switched out for a pop band, uncomfortable shoes and jackets left at the tables. Ichigo and Fleur stayed close together, his hand resting on her hip, until the dance floor was flooded by teenagers with very… questionable dance choices. He excused himself and told her to dance with her friends. Ichigo had exhausted himself with the amount of physical activity he had just performed and was more than happy to sit and watch.

Ichigo saw Ron and Harry sitting with their dates and walked over. "Now, don't try to look too excited to see me boys. Ladies." He nodded in acknowledgement.

"Hello Mr. Kurosaki." The twins replied desolately. Their two dates however, didn't seem in the mood to answer. Ichigo turned when he heard Hermione walk past him. He smiled as he saw Victor kiss her hands and her giddy expression. She looked so happy. She noticed them and moved over.

"Hello boys. Would you like to come get a drink with Victor and I?" she asked. Ichigo nodded, a drink sounded heavenly, if there was such a thing.

"No, we don't want to go get a drink with you and _Victor._ " Ron replied, his tone harsh and accusatory.

"What's got your wand in a knot?"

"You're over there fraternizing with the enemy."

Hermione scoffed. "The _enemy?_ Who was the one asking for his autograph?"

Ichigo cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Okay, guys, settle down. Let's just try to enjoy the rest of the night in peace."

Hermione stood up and grabbed Ichigo's arm. "Ichigo's right. Come on, let's go get some punch." The shinigami put up little resistance as he was dragged away from his other two friends. He could tell his companion was miffed by the encounter, although the young witch would never admit it. He tried to soothe her as they drank, and Ichigo found that Victor was an interesting man to speak with. He reminded Ichigo a lot of himself, now that he thought of it.

As more time passed, more and more couples left the ball. Ichigo joined Fleur back on the dance floor at a much more languid pace before. Their bodies swaying to the rhythm as their thoughts swirled around them. Fleur's head rested against his chest and Ichigo rested his chin on top of her hair, mindful not to knock the hairpiece loose. As the night turned to morning Ichigo noticed that he and a few other couples where the only ones left of the event. His heart warmed when he noticed that Neville was still dancing with Ginny, he was proud of him. The music eventually stopped as the orchestra retired for the night, yet the dancers didn't seem to notice.

Fleur lifted her head and Ichigo looked down. She met his gaze and smiled. "Thank you for coming with me tonight. It has been… magical," she giggled softly. Her laughter was contagious, Ichigo found.

"Yes. I admit I was very… apprehensive about coming tonight, especially since I'm, well, a bit too old for you. And you're a student, and we haven't known each other for very long, and well, a lot of reasons actually." One of Ichigo's hands left Fleur's hips in favor of scratching the back of his neck. "But, the night has turned out a lot more enjoyable than I had anticipated. Although I do feel a bit out of place with all of you youngsters."

"I thought you fit in quite well. It is nice to see you so relaxed. You always have this look in your eye and a stiffness in your shoulders that follows you like the plague. Plus I'm sure the other students were happy to see you spending time with them as well. But, you have had fun with me, yes?"

Ichigo pulled her impossibly closer. "Very much so," he replied. Fleur welcomed the embrace, looking up into his eyes. The young man was more invested in the night than she had expected, and she was thrilled. Her gaze moved lower, to his lips, and she wondered.

Ichigo noticed her leaning closer. Her eyes were falling closed, and Ichigo found himself leaning too. Their breath mingled together as their mouths were only a hair away from each other. Ichigo lifted his hand to cup her cheek.

' _King, something's wrong.'_

An image flashed across his mind, and he paused, opening his eyes. Fleur opened hers as well, hurt and rejection lining her features. The image flashed again, more prominent, a statue in the middle of graveyard. With the image came a sharp pain in his chest. Ichigo's grip on Fleur tightened as the imaged came again, stronger and more painful. Another nightmare, then. Where was Harry? He surely must be asleep at this hour, fitfully it seemed.

"Ichigo, what's wrong?" They were gathering the attention of the other couples in the hall, but he found it hard to pay attention. Sweat began to roll down the side of his face. The image changed to a staircase, the same one from the first dream Harry and he shared. The burning sensation from before returned as well, and that was when Ichigo noticed the first glass object in the hall, a goblet most likely, shatter like the furniture in his room had. It was surreal, to have the same experience, only awake.

"Ichigo, what's happening?" The shinigami noticed his hand was squeezing Fleur's waist harshly, and he forced himself to let go.

"I think," which Ichigo was finding more and more difficult to do by the minute, "I need - someone needs - to go find Headmaster… and Harry. Someone please, just wake him up, if you would." Ichigo heard more objects shattering and distant voices in the background. He heard the hiss of Voldemort's voice, and a flash of his dark mark, twisting and convulsing in his mind.

Or was that him?


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 _Reflection_

* * *

" _I find it quite rude you have been asleep this long. You missed the second challenge, although that may be a good thing as I did not win. Harry saved my sister, and I can never thank him enough for that. He is a good boy, that one, and I dare say he will make a great man."_

" _Winky is quite worried for Master Ichigo, that she is. But when Master Ichigo wakes up, Winky will be here to help, just like she was before, and like she always will be. Yes, that she will."_

" _Oh Ichigo, if I hadn't stormed off when Ron and I were arguing, then maybe I could've helped you. I'm so confused on what I should do, I wish you were awake."_

" _Ichigo, you should've seen the great hall! I mean, bloody hell, you sure did tear the thing to pieces. It's cleaned up now, but I wish I had gotten a picture. Blimey, it looked like a bloody tornado had gone through the place… I just hope you're alright."_

" _Ron and Hermione are fighting, the third challenge is coming up, and we still have no idea what's causing you to get this sick. I know you're having the same dreams as me, does that mean that I'm causing this? Perhaps, well, maybe if I was stronger, this wouldn't happen."_

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

When Ichigo awoke, the same heaviness and fatigue that had plagued his body before was there. The difference now was that he still felt the heat of a fever, and he was still unbelievably tired.

"Mr. Kurosaki, you're awake!"

Ichigo turned his head ever so slightly to find the source of the voice. "Ah, Draco, what can I do for you?"

The blonde's face reddened and he fiddled with his fingers. He looked away from Ichigo. "Oh, well, I heard you were sick, so I just wanted to you know… make sure you weren't just lying to get out of work, yes, that's it."

Ichigo smiled and leaned his head back into the pillows, closing his eyes. "Is that so? Well, I'm glad to see you're keeping an eye out for the school. How is your... _friend_ doing? Did he ever speak with his father?"

"I told my friend your advice, but I think he is finding it harder said than done. He doesn't want his father to be disappointed in him for not doing what he wants."

"Does your friend not agree with his father's choices?" Ichigo asked. Draco shook his head.

"Well, if he doesn't agree with what his father wants, or if he thinks it's wrong, then he shouldn't do it. Of course he wants his father to be proud of him, but some choices he'll just have to make on his own. Does that make sense, Draco?"

The young wizard sighed, his gaze downcast. "I suppose so. I'll make sure to let my, erm, friend know. My friend wants to thank you, you know... for helping him."

"Tell your friend he is very welcome, I am always here for him. I'm proud of him for seeking help, and for making his own decisions. If you'll excuse me, I'm rather fatigued, and I'd like to rest now."

Draco nodded and left the infirmary, most likely to head back to the Slytherin Common Room. Ichigo watched him leave, and settled back into the bed. Despite what he said to Draco, the shinigami was tired of sleeping. He really just wanted to get back to work, for things to go back to normal, but Ichigo was a smart man, daresay a wise one, and he knew that wasn't possible.

It was only a matter of time before Madame Pomfrey realized he was awake and began to poke and prod him again. She was much gentler about it this time around, and Ichigo assumed it had to do with him still having a fever. She forced more grueling juice down the back of his throat before she was off again, but not before she gave his pillows a good fluff. She insisted that he rest, and although Ichigo knew she was right, he didn't want to go back to sleep.

He was worried.

Deciding not to dwell too much on the thought of sleep, he chose to retire to his inner world instead. He wasn't surprised to find the flame dwindling in the fireplace, a reflection of his well being. He was more surprised that it wasn't completely doused with the way things were going. Shiro was sitting in an armchair, the low light barely outlining his form in the darkness. His gaze was unfocused, and Zangetsu was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey."

Shiro didn't answer, but Ichigo wasn't expecting him to - not really. The shinigami sat across from the albino, his gaze refocusing on the small embers in front of them. The room was silent except for the occasional pop of the fire, millennia of companionship in the air, soothing the men more than any words could.

A small white orb caught Ichigo's eye, and he reached up to grab it. He held the small sphere in his grasp, a small warmth enveloped his hands as they cradled it. The man smiled and looked up at the millions of other orbs floating in the infinitely tall room. They looked like stars.

"It's dark."

Ichigo looked back at his companion. "Yes, I suppose it is."

Shiro's grip on the armrest tightened, but his gaze remained unwavered. "No, I mean _it_. These dreams, this thing, it's dark, real dark. I ain't seen nothing like it," he explained. "Getsu and I, we're two sides of the same coin, see. We're apart of each other but complete opposites, we can never touch yet are constantly connected. Back in Karakura, back before the war, we were both able to draw power of our respected sides."

"After the war, in this new world, my side was missing. That's why I got so weak, there were no hollows, nothing for me to latch onto. Zangetsu, though, he was able to get by with the spiritual energy that still resides in this world. For some reason, now it's the opposite; this dark energy that's surrounding you, surrounding Harry, it's giving me strength and it's taking away from Zangetsu. I just, I don't know what to do. I don't know what it is. Zangetsu's the one that knows all this stuff, not me, and he's not here."

Shiro stood abruptly and began to pace the room, his frustration oozing off of him in waves. Ichigo let go of the sphere and stood up himself, wiping nonexistent dust off his shihakusho. He moved across the floor and placed a tentative hand on his friend's shoulder. Shiro stopped his pacing, but he didn't turn to look at Ichigo.

"We'll figure something out, it'll just take some time."

Shiro sighed, "I know, I just… nevermind, forget it." Ichigo squeezed his shoulder in comfort before he stepped back, retreating from his inner world.

The view of the infirmary came into focus as Ichigo returned, the white curtain having been pulled around him as he meditated. Ichigo left the curtain as it was and turned over in the bed, mentally exhausted and ready to sleep again. As he settled into the sheets, his head buried in the pillows, he heard a shuffling from outside the curtain.

"I was wondering when you were gonna wake up."

 _Ah, the Moody imposter. What would he want with me?_ Ichigo heard the distinct sound of a lid unscrewing. _Polyjuice potion, no doubt. He has to keep up his visage._ If he was using polyjuice, though, that meant that the real Moody was still alive somewhere. Ichigo filed it away for further thought.

"You've had quite the rough year, Mr. Kurosaki, have ya not? This is the second time you've gotten sick, seems to be more than just some illness."

Ichigo rolled over, looking in Moody's general direction behind the cloth. "What are you implying, Professor?"

"I've heard you've been having some nasty nightmares, that true?"

"Everyone has nightmares, Professor, some more than others." Ichigo replied, his voice cold and sharp.

"What are yours about?"

Ichigo scoffed, "I doubt that's any of your concern."

"Nasty ones, I bet," Moody continued, ignoring Ichigo. "They have to be, considering the state of the dining hall. Whew, the amount 'a magic that could've done that. Makes one wonder, ya know, where a little feller like yourself got that from? All that power? These nightmares? This illness? Lotta mysteries surrounding a boy who just showed up outta nowhere. I wonder…"

"I'm not a child, Professor, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't address me as such."

Suddenly, the curtain was pulled aside and Ichigo closed his eyes against the bright light from the windows. He scooted back in his bed and pulled himself upright, not completely sitting up but not laying down either. Ichigo watched as Moody moved towards him. The imposter sat on the edge of the bed, and leaned forward, their faces only inches apart.

"No, yer not a child, are ya? You're something else. I don't know what, quite yet, but I'll be keeping an eye on ya."

' _King, tell him he can keep that disgustin' eye of his off us. Thing gives me the creeps.'_

Ichigo stared at the man, his gaze unwavering. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Professor."

Moody smirked and straightened up. "I reckon it would. Gotta be careful boy, you never know what's gonna happen." Ichigo scowled as he watched the man stand up and limp away. If he didn't know any better, Ichigo would've thought that was a threat.

Ichigo didn't receive any visitors for the rest of the day, something he was glad for. He watched Madame Pomfrey care for other patients, mostly injuries from quidditch tournaments or jinx's gone wrong. She made her way back to him as the day turned to night.

"Hm, your fever is still a bit high, 38.7. Are you still as stiff and weak as last time?" She asked as she raised his left arm above his head.

"I'm definitely sore, but not stiff, no. As for weak, well, I haven't really tried to get out of bed yet. How long was I asleep?"

"A few weeks, so longer than last time, but your condition wasn't as extreme either. It's definitely a strange ailment, that's for sure. Is your magic working alright? Have you tried using it?" Ichigo shook in response. "Ah, I see. Best to wait then, since you had such an adverse reaction to it last time. It's getting late, so get some rest. I recommend that you try to use the restroom before you do though, not sure how much longer that charm I put on you will last."

Ichigo paled. "Yes, wouldn't want that, would we?" Madame Pomfrey smiled in return and left.

The shinigami pulled the curtains back and turned, placing his feet on the cool stone floor. He tried to put his weight on shaky fee, but found that hadn't been such a good idea. His knees buckled, but he was able to catch himself before he fell. He scanned the hall, his eyes finding a wheelchair a few beds down.

' _Ichi, I don't think that's such a good idea. She said not to use your magic.'_

' _Well, unless you want to deal with me pissing myself in the middle of the night, I don't see an alternative.'_

"Ichigo?"

Ichigo turned his head to look back to the doors of the infirmary. "Fleur, what are you doing here at this hour? It's past your curfew."

The young female rushed across the hall and placed her hands on either side of Ichigo's face. "I come here every night to check on you. I just finished my homework, that's why I'm so late, and I just… I am so happy you are awake, I was so worried." She stepped back and smacked the man on the arm.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"For scaring me at the dance like that! You have some nerve. I had no idea what was wrong! We were dancing and it was amazing, I had spent forever getting ready and-"

As Fleur continued to ramble, Ichigo smiled softly. He raised his arms from their grip on the edge of the mattress, repositioning them onto Fleur's shoulders. The skin was warm and soft under his fingers, vibrating from her never-ending chastisement. His sight drifted upwards, focusing on the movements of mouth though he wasn't listening.

Ichigo tugged her impossibly close and sealed her lips with his own, ceasing her beratement. He felt her stiffen under his hold before she melted into the embrace. She eased her weight onto his lap as her arms enveloped his neck, the tips of her fingernails skimming across the skin, leaving a tingling sensation in their wake. Fleur's body easily fell into place against his, the closeness they felt during the dance easily returning as if it had never left. The young witch disconnected their lips in favor of leaning her forehead against his.

The heat from Ichigo's fever and their recent activities spread across her face There was a moment of silence as they collected their breath. "I was scared, truly scared, you know. We were so happy, and then you just… froze. I called out to you, I asked you what was wrong, but you didn't answer. Your face, you looked so distraught, helpless even, and that's when things started to break."

"Finally, you spoke," she continued. "You asked for Headmaster and Harry. I watched as your body fell to the floor and you began to convulse. More things broke, some objects began to fly around the room violently. I shouted for someone to get help while I tried to hold you still. You were shaking so much, I was scared you were going to hurt yourself. After an agonizing amount of time, I'm not sure how long, you stilled. Minutes later, Dumbledore rushed in, Harry behind him. Someone had obviously just woken him up, if his bed robes were anything to go by."

"As quickly as they came in, they scurried out with your limp body, no questions, no explanations. I was left there alone, in the middle of a ransacked Great Hall." Ichigo's gaze softened as he watched Fleur's breath hitch and tears stream down her cheeks, but he didn't say anything. "I did not sleep at all that night, I was too worried. I knew you were sick when we met, but to see you have an attack in person, it was haunting. I watched the sunrise and as soon as they allowed it, I came to visit you. If it wasn't for how pale you looked, I would've thought you were sleeping."

Ichigo wiped her eyes with his thumbs and smiled at her. "I'm alright, I'm here." He untwined one of her arms from his neck and placed it over his chest, the rhythmic beating of his heart drumming through her fingers. "See? It'll take a lot more than that to get rid of me… I don't suppose I could ask you for a favor, though?"

She looked up at him. "What?"

Ichigo grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "This is a bit embarrassing, but I don't suppose you could bring me that wheelchair from over there, could you? I really have to use the restroom, but I can't walk on my own just yet."

"D'accord," she replied, shifting off of the man's lap where she had been sitting. She straightened out her dress, nonexistent wrinkles smoothing out. The heels of her shoes clicked against the stone floor as she walked towards the other bed. She grabbed the handles of the chair, and Ichigo watched as she wheeled it back to him. "This one?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yes, that's perfect, thank you." He pulled the edge of the seat next to the bed.

"Do you, erm, do you need help? I mean, I haven't…"

"No, that's alright. Thank you, though." Ichigo smiled in reply. He stood up from the bed, this time with the edge of the wheelchair for support, and sank down into the seat. "See? There's no need to worry about me."

Ichigo took his much needed restroom break. He returned to find that in his absence, Fleur had laid down on his bed and was dozing off. Ichigo waited until he was sure she was asleep before he gently pulled her shoes off and quietly pulled the curtain around the bed so she wouldn't be disturbed. The bed was far for both of them to fit, so instead, he heaved himself into the closest bed. He pulled the blanket around himself and went to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 _At Sea_

* * *

"Come in," Ichigo called out. The door opened and Ichigo looked up when the familiar aroma of Dobby's handywork wafted throughout his chambers.

Winky's form appeared from behind the door, a tray of food for her master in her arms. The silver tray held a simple meal complete with soup and bread. The smell alone was enough to make his mouth water and an embarrassing growl remind him how long it had been since he'd eaten last. Winky, bless her, was doing all she could to get him to eat, but there were times where he simply wasn't hungry.

"Sir, Winky has brought food. You must eat to get well." Winky agreed with herself with a nod, setting the tray across Ichigo's lap. Saying thanks for both the meal and Winky's help, Ichigo tucked into the meal slowly. The earlier peak of hunger had diminished upon coming face to face with the meal. He took his first few bites enthusiastically, making sure to grab some bread to qualm Winky's worries. She seemed satisfied with his reaction and returned to folding the clothes she had just washed, many of which Ichigo had gifted her. Ichigo was unaware of the meaning of such a gesture, but Winky smiled and accepted the clothing regardless.

Ichigo managed to finish half of the food before he sat it aside on his nightstand, unable to look at it any longer. Thankfully, his companion didn't seem to notice and continued on with her work. The third task was only a week away, and he was worried he wouldn't be well enough to be of any use. Just thinking of the task, even though he was unaware of what it was, created a deep pit of anxiousness in his gut that took hours to diminish. Ichigo meant to speak with Dumbledore, but after his last attack, the man was reluctant to let him anywhere near the tournament.

Ichigo needed some fresh air.

"Winky, I think we should go for a walk. What do you think?" The young elf turned and watched her master leave his bed in favor of the outfit she had laid out for him on his dresser. It was another simple kimono, meant more for his comfort than appearance. Her lips thinned as she pondered his suggestion.

"Winky thinks Ichigo should be resting." She smiled. "Perhaps, Master Ichigo would like to talk? Winky thinks that her master has a lot on his mind."

Said man paused, his fingers wrapped around the cool cloth. He sighed and let the kimono go, watching it return to its place on the wood. "I am… at sea."

Winky, seemingly the wisest one of all of them, climbed into the shinigami's bed and patted the spot next to her, urging her master to join her.

"The captain of a vessel travelling on a night where the clouds cover the stars, I can see a storm brewing, but the stars - our way to safety - are hidden from my view. I can do nothing but watch as the passengers aboard wander the deck, wary but unknowing of what they are about to face. The storm, oh the storm, it's a nasty one. It will be talked about for centuries, a story passed on from father to son, mother to daughter, friend to friend."

"With such a torrent on the way, what is there for me to do? How can I prepare? I must keep in mind my limitations, and there are mutineers on my ship, lying in wait. One of my vice captains, the one with all the answers, is ill. The other is as confused as I. What am I to do? Tell me, _please_..."

Winky hesitated, not having the words her master so desperately needed to hear. The man before her had lived many lifetimes, but still doubted his own ability. Not that she blamed him, after what he'd been through. Winky had left her master's side the night of the ball, wishing to give him privacy and the chance to relax. She was happy with her decision; she wouldn't have known what to do with Ichigo in that state.

"Winky is not very smart, she does not know the answer. Winky does know Master Ichigo, and she knows he will figure it all out, that she does." With that, she hopped back off the bed, and continued her chores in silence. After all, what more could she say?

Ichigo's sleep that night wasn't restful, it never was anymore. The fireplace in his world was growing dimmer with every passing day, the torrents his thoughts were going through not helping in the slightest. And before anyone knew it, the day of the third challenge was upon them.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 _The Maze_

* * *

The roar of music and cheers bombarded Ichigo the moment he entered the stands. There was a chill in the air that bit and nipped at his skin. The shinigami's hair stood on end as the trepidation he felt increased tenfold. He couldn't help reaching for the hilt of Zangetsu, the safety of its presence calming him considerably. Despite not being well, Ichigo decided to dress for the occasion. Instead of the kimonos that filled his wardrobe as of late, he wore light brown slacks and a maroon sweater, with Zangetsu proudly on display against his hip. With such unforeseeable events about to unfold, there was no way Ichigo was going to be without his blade.

Winky noticed her master's distress and pulled him along to gather with the other professors. He took notice of Fleur and Harry standing by their respective sponsors. Ichigo eyed Moody like his life depended on it, and it very well could have, but quickly turned away when he heard someone approach.

"Ichigo, what are you doing here?"

"My job, Albus." Ichigo sighed. He knew this confrontation was inevitable, but that still didn't mean he wanted it to happen.

"But Lo- Ichigo, it's just, you're not well!" Ichigo could tell the man was just as agitated as he was. "You should be resting."

"Albus, you summoned me here for a reason, and I'm not going to go back on my word. I'm going to protect Harry Potter from anything that threatens his fate. He is going to face Voldemort, that much I can not change, but I will not let it be by anyone's hand other than his own."

He took a deep breath to calm himself. "And once this is all over and done with, no matter the outcome, you will seal me away again."

Despite the noise erupting in the air, the silence between them was deafening. Ichigo stared into the man's eyes, past his crescent-moon glasses, and straight into his soul. If Ichigo was going to be awake at any period in time, he was glad it was when he could meet this man, and Harry Potter, and Fleur. What would he tell Fleur when they fixed his soul back onto that cross? What would she say? She'd object, surely, but he'd cross that bridge when he got there.

If they survived this, that is.

Dumbledore was pulled away by the beginning of the event. He called out his speech, one that Ichigo barely listened to. His eyes were drawn back to Moody as he stood by Harry's side. When had they become so distant that Harry had Moody by his side instead of himself? When had Harry begun to see the Moody imposter more dependable than he?

" _It was probably when ya broke the great hall."_

' _You're not helping… how are you feeling?'_

" _Off. There's something pulling me to that maze, and I don't like it."_

The sound of cannon fire made him jump. Ichigo watched as Harry's back disappeared into the puzzle as well as Fleur's a few minutes later. If he was feeling anxious before, he had no idea what was going on inside his chest at that moment. His own back remained tense and his hand ready to grab Zangetsu at any moment. The cheers from earlier have dissipated into normal chatter as they waited for news on the champions.

Within minutes he heard the sound of hedges moving and readjusting, creating the ultimate puzzle. His eyes caught Moody's figure again as he watched the man chug another gulp of polyjuice. Who was the man behind the glass eye? Foe, surely. Ichigo wondered what the man had done to the maze, what he had done to alter Harry's fate. The shinigami knew he had done something, the man's hands were twitching and his tongue continued to dart across his upper lip. Ichigo's head tilted to the side in thought; he had seen that before, but where?

Moody was shaking and beginning to sweat. Ichigo took long strides and closed the distance between them quickly.

"Ah, Professor Moody, are you feeling alright? You seem a bit shaken."

The speed at which Moody's eyes met Ichigo's must've been strong enough to break the man's neck. But then again, was the person before him really a man?

"I should be asking you that, boy. Weren't you in a wheelchair at the beginning of the week?"

"Indeed, but I am stronger than I look," Ichigo smirked as he drew attention to his legs. "See? My legs are as fit as a fiddle, so to speak. How are yours doing? They're probably doing just fine, taking into account all that polyjuice potion you've been gulping down all year."

The man's color drained from his face and he seemed more alert than before. His tongue darted across his lip again, more aggressively than before. The imposter opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it as he took a glance at the maze. "I told you to mind your business, but I suppose there's nothing you can really do, can you?" And with that the man limped off, effectively ending their conversation. Ichigo's eyes focused on the retreating figure until he was distracted by other students.

Half an hour later, the crowd silenced as red sparks were seen lighting the sky. Ichigo watched with both worry and relief as Fleur was returned to the makeshift arena. He couldn't help but make his way towards the dazed woman, needing to see for himself that she was truly alright. As he approached her he noticed Madame Pomfrey attending to the witch, feeling her forehead and checking her eyes. The healer didn't pause in her examination but didn't ignore him either.

"She looks alright for the most part. She's got some superficial scrapes and bruises, and it looks like she's been knocked out, but nothing too serious. She should feel fine within the hour."

"Thank you," he said as Pomfrey straightened up.

She smiled and patted his arm. "There's nothing to thank." The woman looked around and threw her arms in the air at the few who gathered around them. "What are you lot still standing around here for? Give 'em some room for Merlin's sake." With that, the group dispersed.

No one defied Madame Pomfrey.

Fleur looked at him, seeming more coherent than before. Ichigo credited that to the healer that had just left.

"Ichigo! I'm afraid I didn't win…"

Ichigo shook his head and pulled the young woman close. "No, that's alright. You're safe, and that's really what matters in the end." He pulled away to look at her as he spoke but was still connected to her. "As you continue to grow and learn, just like I do, you'll realize that these competitions for sheer strength are meaningless. Unless you have something you're fighting for - to protect, to save, it doesn't matter - you'll never win."

"Once again, Monsieur, you've surprised me. Are you sure there's something you're not telling me?"

Ichigo couldn't help but smirk, "Mademoiselle, there's a lot of things you don't know about me."

"It appears so," Fleur laughed.

Ichigo shifted his weight between his feet. "So, what was it like, in the maze?" Fleur's back stiffened in response to his question.

"It was tres dark. As soon as I walked in, it was like I was a different person. All I could think about was finding that stupid goblet, everyone did. Victor found me and it was like we forgot that we were comrades, and we fought. He won, obviously. I do not hold it against him, the fog in our eyes was too great for us, I am afraid."

Ichigo's eyes dropped. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Fleur shook her head," Non. I choose to put my name in the goblet of my own free will. It is a good lesson to learn."

A chill ran down Ichigo's spine before the pain arrived. A throbbing, burning sensation bloomed in his chest and breathing suddenly became a difficult endeavor.

"Ichigo?"

Ichigo's gaze strayed from Fleur's concerned look to the maze. "Something's wrong... they're in trouble." The shinigami scanned the yard for Dumbledore, but his movement was incredibly hindered by the gnawing in his chest.

Feeling someone grab his arm, he looked over to find Fleur pulling his arm over her shoulder, supporting him with her own frame. "Thank you," he said.

"Harry is my friend too. He saved my sister, it is only right that I help him," she explained.

Ichigo nodded as they continued their trek across the lawn. Ichigo could feel eyes starting to collect on their forms, but he pushed them to the back of his mind.

The pain continued to increase as time progressed and it quickly came to the forefront of his thoughts. His sweat clung to wool of his sweater, slipping down his face and back and onto Fleur's skin. The breaths that escaped his lungs were curt and forced, huffed and puffed in an attempt to get enough oxygen to function. His heart was trying to claw its way out of his chest; where to, he didn't know.

As quickly as it had come, the searing pain dissipated into a dull throbbing. With the disappearance of his pain came the reappearance of Harry crashing into the floor with what looked to be Cedric in his arms.

The stench of death that wafted Ichigo's direction was unmistakable. The fumes filled his nose, stung his throat, and encompassed his already oxygen-deprived lungs. With the last of his strength, he pushed forward, off of Fleur's shoulders and onto the ground next to Harry. Several people surrounded the two in a flutter of chaos, Dumbledore and Moody included.

Ichigo took in deep gulps of air as he looked at Harry's face, twisted in grief and fear. The boy was near hysteric, crying out inaudible words. Ichigo released a small portion of his spiritual energy to quiet everyone and get them to back off the boy. The shinigami kneeled next to Harry and placed a firm on the boy's arm to ground him.

"Harry, what happened?"

Harry's body loosened as he heard his friend's voice. His eyes focused on his. "He's back, he's back - _Voldemort's_ back. Cedric asked me to bring his body, I couldn't leave him there…" Ichigo hushed words of comfort, but the boy continued, "The port key took us to-to a graveyard... the same on in our dreams. There were death eaters, tons of them and I was pinned to that statue and then they cut my arm and then they spoke this spell and then I saw... He's here - he's back - and he k-killed Cedric. It's my fault, if I had ju-"

"Harry!" Ichigo cut him off as he cupped the boy's face with his warm hands. Harry's skin was slathered in sweat and grime, but Ichigo didn't mind one bit. "It is not, nor ever will be your fault. Ever. Do you understand me?"

"But-"

"No!" Ichigo stood up and wiped the grass stains off the knees of his pants, not that it did anything. He unsheathed his zanpakuto, the sound of the metal sliding out of the sheath seemed to silence everyone in the area.

After all, who had ever seen a warrior such as he take arms?

He held out Zangetsu to where the hilt of the katana was perpendicular to his body, almost touching his chest. He looked behind him, catching Fleur's confused look. "You'll want to catch me," he said as he slammed the hilt against his chest, shoving his spirit out of his gigai.

Ichigo jumped back, managing to catch himself on his feet before he fell along with his body, which Fleur had managed to catch at the last moment. Fleur laid him down and looked at his body, confused and worried about what had just happened. Instead of focusing on his gigai, he noticed that a small portion of the student body was staring at his soul, revealing all those who had witnessed death.

' _So young to have such burdens…'_

His eyes roamed over to Cedric's body. His clothes were torn and muddy, much like the other contestants. His skin was drained of all its color, the blood no longer pumping from the halt of his heart. For now, his body was still pliant, rigor mortis hadn't set in. His clear blue eyes were frozen open.

Not if Ichigo had anything to do with it.

With a deep breath, he pushed himself off the ground and into the air. While in the air he calmed his body down and honed his senses. Slowly, several strips of white cloth began to appear around him - Reiraku, the souls of the living - flowing and ebbing around him. He was able to locate Cedric's among the hundreds around him. The shinigami latched his hand onto the strand and knew where his soul was.

Using the ability that came second nature to him, he was able to flash step to the graveyard that haunted his dreams. The closer he got, the worse he felt. The throbbing returned harsher, and then came the burning, the difficulty to breath. He hardly noticed when he touched down to the ground, but that didn't mean that those there hadn't.

He came face to face with dozens of death eaters pointing their wands at him. On instinct, Ichigo took a defensive stance, placing Zangetsu between himself and his enemies. He was severely outnumbered, but Ichigo wasn't worried. He wasn't here for them, he was here for the soul that he could see out of the corner of his eye.

" _Step aside_ ," a man demanded, inside the throng of wizards. They parted like the red sea, and a not-quite-human man appeared before him.

If Ichigo thought his chest was hurting before, it was exploding now.

"Well, well, well," the man soothed. "What do we have here?"

"I'm not here for you. Voldemort, I assume?" Ichigo asked. The collective gasp for the direct name was heard amongst the crowd.

"You assume correctly. If you're not here for me, then why are you here?" He asked as he took a step forward.

Ichigo tried not to gasp as a familiar urge filled his body.

"That boy you murdered in cold blood."

The dark lord chuckled. "You'll have to be more specific, I've killed a lot of boys in cold blood." He took another step towards the shinigami, and it seemed to flip a switch.

" _King, I don't know what's going on, but it's not me!"_

Before Ichigo could question what Shiro meant, he felt it. Calcified reishi began to form on his face, conforming and melding with his skin.

' _How is that possible? I thought,"_ Ichigo paused in his thoughts, eyes drifting to the unconscious soul behind him. ' _It doesn't matter right now. I have a limited window to get Cedric's soul back to his body before Death shows up. Although I have no plans on fighting Voldemort, I can't guarantee he feels the same.'_

By this point, his mask was beginning to envelop his right eye and his time was running short. Ichigo ignored the keen focus Voldemort paid to the mask appearing on his face and used the momentary distraction to turn and dash for Cedric. He heard shouts and saw spells flash over his head. Ichigo sheathed Zangetsu and bent down to grab the boy.

Even after picking up his soul, he remained unconscious, so his soul had endured some sort of strain. The shinigami hurriedly maneuvered him onto his back and hooked his arms under the boy's legs, supporting him as best he could. He heard the shuffling of feet and robes and knew he didn't have any more time.

He tensed his calves and shoved himself into the air. Ichigo was only supported for a few moments before it seemed as though the floor was pulled out from under him. He turned his body so that Cedric's soul wouldn't take any damage, ensuring that he himself landed on his chest with a thud. The little breath he had was knocked out of him and he groaned fitfully.

The separation from the dark lord seemed to slow the manifestation of his mask, but it was short-lived. He could feel them approaching with every passing second. Ichigo heaved himself back up and tried to flash step again, only to fall once more.

" _King, that's obviously not working. Try using Sonido, since it seems that our power has taken over."_

' _I'm working on it for Merlin's safe!'_

Taking another mouthful of air, he tried again and took power from a different part of himself than before. He was able to stay in the air well enough to make his escape. While in the air he clamped down on his spiritual pressure, destroying any chance the death eater's had to track him.

After a moment the mask's progression stopped completely with his left eye and cheekbone uncovered. The shinigami, or vizard at this moment, could feel his strength waning the farther he went. He still wasn't well and his body wasn't up for the bewildering confrontation he had just endured. Ichigo's legs began to go numb, and he could not support their combined weight in the air anymore.

With the arena in view, he gave one last push before he prepared for impact. He turned his own body around so he could cradle Cedric's; souls were a fragile thing, especially in this world, and Cedric's seemed strained already. But instead of landing on his side like he'd intended to, Ichigo ended up crashing into the ground on his back, certainly snapping a few ribs in the process.

When Ichigo had the energy to look up, he noticed that Dumbledore and other adults were hovering over him, looking fearful and pointing their wands at him. They were saying words he couldn't quite understand at the moment.

Ichigo tried to move Cedric's soul and stand up, but with everyone around him, he quickly became flustered. "Move, get out of my way! I need, I need, ugh, damn it! Just move!" He shouted, and everyone seemed to back up instantly.

With the room he needed, he was able to move his cargo to the ground and stand, albeit very very carefully. He held his injured torso and looked, but couldn't find the body.

"Where is Cedric's body?" He asked, and suddenly the wands were back in his face.

"Why would you want to know?" A man he had yet to meet asked. Judging from the tears on the man's face, he was the father of the deceased, also pointing at the shinigami with his wand.

"What do you mean? I'm trying to help!" Ichigo replied.

"And how are we supposed to know that?"

"What do you — oh… that's why." Ichigo raised his arm, startling those around him. He slowed, but didn't stop, and slid his fingers under the edges of his mask. With a great amount of effort, he was able to pry it off and reveal his face. They watched as it disintegrated back into the air.

"I'm sorry, I hadn't realized I was still using my mask. I'm sure that was frightening." Most of them seemed to visibly relax but were still wary of this new Ichigo. He took this time to notice that his own gigai was missing as well as Fleur. Ichigo shook his head, it wasn't important right now. "Albus, I can save Cedric, I just need to restore his soul to his body. The window is limited and if this is going to work, I need to do it, _now_."

The father was the first to lower his wand and step towards the man. "You can save my boy?" he asked, and Ichigo nodded in return. "They've set up a tent, behind the stands and away from the students, where they took Cedric's… and your well, whatever it is that's going on."

"Okay, thank you," Ichigo said as he smiled at the man. The shinigami carefully bent down and lifted the soul off the ground where he had laid it. He maneuvered out of the small divot he had created during their landing. He noticed the confused stares his way. "No one other than perhaps Albus and I can see Cedric's soul, which is in my arms. You simply aren't strong enough, which is nothing to be ashamed of. Now, I must hurry."

Ichigo made his way to the tent as fast as he could. It looked to be the same one they had used during the first task to house the champions. Ichigo slipped inside and took note of its contents. He saw his own gigai in the corner with Fleur next to it, and on the other side was, what he assumed to be Cedric's body, with a sheet pulled over it. His heart broke when he noticed Madame Pomfrey looking at him.

' _I wonder, as a physician, how many deaths she has seen?'_

" _Ichigo, why are you so damn pessimistic?"_

' _It's a habit.'_

She walked up to him. "I don't even want to know why there is two of you right now, but you look dreadful." Ichigo was sure he did. He was covered in sweat and mud, and underneath his shihakusho there would be deep purple bruises beginning to form.

"I need to see Cedric's body, please," he explained. Pomfrey seemed to evaluate him for a moment before pulling back the sheets covering Cedric's still form. He had been cleaned, but not changed, and his eyes were now closed.

Ichigo heaved the soul onto the bed, his weakened muscles straining with the effort. A soul contained a lifetime of memories, and memories were heavy things. Ichigo watched as they naturally aligned, but knew there was more to be done. With the help of Madame Pomfrey, he was able to hop onto the bed. The shinigami sat on top of the boy's legs but placed his hands against Cedric's chest.

" _Are you sure you know what you're doing? It's been almost a millennia since you've done this."_

' _Hush, I'm trying to focus.'_

And focus he did. Within a few moments, a soft white light emitted from his hands. He could see the strands of Cedric's soul, the fine print of his spirit, and weaved them back into his body. He repaired the rips and cuts, the tears and scrapes. Ichigo was never very good at healing kudo, but he was when it counted, when it _meant_ something. He pulled his hands back and was enthralled to see Cedric's skin beginning to color and his chest beginning to rise.

He was so focused in fact, that he hadn't noticed the entourage that had joined them in the tent. He was startled when he turned to find Albus, Cedric's father, Severus, McGonagall, and Hagrid behind him. Fleur and Pomfrey had also perked up.

"He should be fine," he announced. "But he will need time. Avada Kedavra is a curse that forcibly separates the soul from the body. So it's not just his body that needs healing, but his spirit as well."

Ichigo took this moment to re-enter his gigai, changing beds and laying down on his own. Once again with his artificial body, he sat up in his bed, startling Fleur.

"Ichigo! Oh my, are you alright? I knew you were too sick to be here! I-" Ichigo silenced her with a quiet kiss on her forehead to show he was alright.

"I'm fine, what we need to do now is-" Ichigo paused to look around. "- where is Harry?"

Albus replied, "I believe he is with Professor Moody, why?"

"Not good, not good at all," Ichigo said as he jumped out of his bed, albeit a bit too quickly for his injured torso.

"Ichigo…" Fleur began, "are you hurt?"

Ichigo shook his head. "It's nothing serious, we can fix it later. We need to find Harry. Now."

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"Yes, Albus. I'm sure you've suspected that's not the real Alastor Moody, and you'd be right. He's been using polyjuice."

"Well that explains what's happened to my supplies," Snape scoffed.

"There's no time for that," Ichigo explained as he made his way towards the entrance of the tent. "Let's go."

Albus, Snape, and Ichigo stormed their way into Moody's chambers, seemingly just in time. Albus and Snape discovered the imposter's true identity as Crouch Jr. while Ichigo found the real Moody and comforted Harry.

"Cedric's alive?! But-but how? I saw Voldemort use the killing curse."

"He was, but I was able to use my abilities to bring him back. I'll… explain later. I think right now we should all rest, don't you think?"

Harry nodded. A nap sounded brilliant.

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Ichigo and Dumbledore stared at the stone base kept on the third floor of Hogwarts for safe keeping. Ichigo was rubbing the wooden badge he had once used to force his soul out of his body. He had created the same badge on the hilt of Zangetsu, since his wooden one had a different purpose in this world. Dumbledore paced about the room.

"So, you're the Ebon Phoenix? Of all the titles you have, I didn't expect that to be one." Ichigo didn't respond, so the man continued. "The only wizard to ever reverse death. He was, legend says, a vigilante that saved witches and witches from the pyre during the witch trials. That's all they were, though, legends; myths told to children at night. Why would someone like you ever choose to be sealed."

"Immortality is not a gift, Albus, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. When you have enough time to think, to actually see the world around you, you come to realize that decisions have to be made."

"Speaking of decisions, have you made yours, Ichigo?" Dumbledore asked.

The shinigami glanced at the dip in the center of the stone where the badge went. Once Ichigo placed the wooden seal in its place, the cross would appear and Ichigo would take his place on it, and be sealed once more.

"Ichigo?" Ichigo nodded in response and stepped towards the stone.

"The reason I was unsealed was that you were worried for Harry's safety. I told you that I would only be able to do so much because I can't meddle in the affairs of humans, especially those that don't concern me. However," The shinigami took a step back from the stone and handed the badge to Dumbledore.

"Voldemort caused my mask to manifest, something which I haven't been able to do since coming to this world." Ichigo walked across the room and opened the door to leave, but turned back for one final statement.

"It definitely concerns me now."

 _ **To Be Continued In,**_

 _ **The Order of the Ebon Phoenix**_

 _ **Coming Soon...**_


End file.
